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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: fan · bound · club · land · leaves · branch · cap · stem

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. stem — to come from
  3. land — ground
  4. bound — obliged
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cap — a hat
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. bound — tied together
  11. branch — a division
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. club — a group
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. bound — certain
  16. land — to come down
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. club — for golf
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. land — a country
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. club — for dancing

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