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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: rock · club · ball · stem · can · scale · bank · field

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. can — a tin
  5. bank — for money
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ball — a dance
  8. field — farmland
  9. bank — of a river
  10. rock — music
  11. club — for golf
  12. club — a group
  13. ball — a great time
  14. field — a subject
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. scale — size or range
  17. rock — a stone
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. bank — for money
  20. scale — in music
  21. stem — to come from
  22. club — for dancing
  23. field — for sport
  24. can — to be able to

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