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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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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: stem · cap · board · game · bank · land · lean · fan

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. board — to get on
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. bank — for money
  9. land — to come down
  10. board — a committee
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. bank — for money
  13. cap — of ice
  14. cap — a lid
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. land — ground
  17. lean — thin
  18. game — wild animals
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. cap — a hat
  21. game — a match
  22. stem — to come from
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. land — a country

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