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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: stem · fall · fork · band · rock · current · bank · march

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. march — the month
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. bank — for money
  5. rock — music
  6. band — a music group
  7. current — electric
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fall — to drop
  10. march — the month
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. fall — to drop
  14. rock — a stone
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bank — for money
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. band — a ring
  19. march — music
  20. current — of water
  21. fall — the season
  22. current — happening now
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. stem — to come from

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