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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 120 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 · board · track · cue · stem · bat · bark · can

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bat — the animal
  5. cue — a hint
  6. track — a song
  7. bank — for money
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. cue — a signal
  11. can — a tin
  12. cue — for pool
  13. board — to get on
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. bank — for money
  16. board — a committee
  17. track — to keep track
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. can — a tin
  21. track — a path
  22. can — to be able to
  23. stem — to come from
  24. bark — to shout

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