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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: tube · stem · bank · chair · stick · root · can · land

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. land — a country
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. can — a tin
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — of a river
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. can — to be able to
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stem — to come from
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. tube — the underground
  13. chair — a leader
  14. root — of a word
  15. can — a tin
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. bank — for money
  19. land — ground
  20. root — the cause
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. root — of a plant
  24. tube — a container

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