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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: vault · row · ball · bat · bank · field · stem · present

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. ball — a great time
  4. row — to paddle
  5. field — for sport
  6. bank — of a river
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. field — a subject
  11. bank — for money
  12. present — the time now
  13. field — farmland
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. present — there
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. bank — for money
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. row — a line
  20. bat — the animal
  21. vault — a safe
  22. ball — a dance
  23. present — a gift
  24. bat — for baseball

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