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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: squash · cell · mine · clip · bank · net · stem · club

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. net — for catching
  3. clip — a video
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. bank — for money
  6. cell — a phone
  7. stem — to come from
  8. squash — to crush
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. bank — for money
  12. mine — for digging
  13. squash — the sport
  14. clip — to cut
  15. cell — in biology
  16. club — for dancing
  17. club — for golf
  18. club — a group
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. clip — for paper
  21. net — after costs
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. bank — of a river

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