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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spell · stem · net · race · drill · bank · present · board

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. net — for catching
  4. bank — for money
  5. stem — to come from
  6. race — the arms race
  7. present — the time now
  8. net — after costs
  9. spell — magic
  10. bank — of a river
  11. race — humankind
  12. board — a committee
  13. bank — for money
  14. drill — a practice
  15. net — in sport
  16. race — a contest
  17. spell — a short time
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. board — to get on
  20. present — there
  21. spell — letters
  22. drill — army training
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. drill — the tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com