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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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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 · bear · hide · club · capital · staff · racket

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. staff — a stick
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. bank — for money
  6. bear — the animal
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bank — for money
  9. club — for golf
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. staff — employees
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. staff — employees
  14. stem — to come from
  15. capital — a city
  16. capital — money
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. club — a group
  22. bank — of a river
  23. club — for dancing
  24. racket — for tennis

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