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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: field · bank · pass · mate · bay · net · stem · chip

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. mate — to breed
  3. pass — a permit
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. field — a subject
  6. field — for sport
  7. bank — for money
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. mate — a partner
  12. net — for catching
  13. field — farmland
  14. bank — of a river
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bank — for money
  18. mate — a friend
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stem — to come from
  22. chip — to eat
  23. net — in sport
  24. chip — for betting

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