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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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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: fan · pass · board · stem · saw · ground · bat · bank

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. ground — the earth
  3. bank — for money
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bank — for money
  6. stem — to come from
  7. pass — a permit
  8. ground — a position
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. saw — the tool
  14. board — to get on
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. board — a committee
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bank — of a river
  21. ground — crushed
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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