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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 · game · rock · net · track · ground · rest · stem

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. ground — the earth
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stem — to come from
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a song
  7. bank — for money
  8. net — after costs
  9. rest — what's left
  10. ground — crushed
  11. net — in sport
  12. bank — for money
  13. game — wild animals
  14. game — a match
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. net — for catching
  17. ground — a position
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — a break
  20. rock — a stone
  21. bank — of a river
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. rock — music
  24. track — a path

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