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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: field · tube · lash · stem · scale · stick · pound · bank

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. tube — the underground
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. pound — a weight
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. scale — size or range
  9. bank — for money
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. stem — to come from
  12. scale — in music
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. bank — for money
  15. field — farmland
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. tube — a container
  19. field — a subject
  20. field — for sport
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. lash — to lash out

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