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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 116 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: current · stand · stem · stick · nail · bank · rock · field

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. field — for sport
  3. field — farmland
  4. bank — for money
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stem — to come from
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. field — a subject
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. stand — to bear
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. rock — a stone
  15. bank — for money
  16. current — of water
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. current — electric
  19. current — happening now
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bank — of a river
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rock — music
  24. nail — for a hammer

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