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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 116 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: bank · stem · sharp · bass · vault · pitcher · file · game

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bass — the fish
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. file — a line of people
  6. bank — for money
  7. game — wild animals
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. bank — of a river
  11. stem — to come from
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bass — low music
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — clever
  16. bank — for money
  17. file — a tool
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. game — a match
  23. vault — a safe
  24. file — a document

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