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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: ball · stem · charge · land · stick · bank · pop · mouse

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bank — for money
  3. pop — music
  4. ball — a dance
  5. bank — for money
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. charge — in control
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. land — a country
  10. charge — a price
  11. pop — to visit
  12. charge — electricity
  13. land — to come down
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. ball — a great time
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bank — of a river
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. stem — to come from
  22. land — ground
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. pop — soda

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