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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: stand · face · game · bat · firm · stem · current · bank

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. bank — for money
  3. stem — to come from
  4. face — part of the head
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. current — electric
  7. current — of water
  8. firm — decided
  9. bank — of a river
  10. firm — a company
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. game — a match
  13. bank — for money
  14. face — to point toward
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. face — to confront
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. stand — to bear
  20. firm — steady
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. current — happening now
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. stand — for spectators

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