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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 120 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: rock · band · ball · net · bank · mate · sharp · stem

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. rock — music
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. band — a music group
  6. net — for catching
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stem — to come from
  9. mate — to breed
  10. net — after costs
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. mate — a friend
  13. rock — a stone
  14. sharp — clever
  15. ball — a dance
  16. bank — for money
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. ball — a great time
  19. bank — for money
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. band — a ring
  22. mate — a partner
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. bank — of a river

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