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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: pop · saw · date · ball · stem · bank · capital · lie

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bank — of a river
  3. pop — music
  4. bank — for money
  5. date — the fruit
  6. saw — the tool
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — to recline
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. capital — a city
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. pop — soda
  14. bank — for money
  15. pop — to visit
  16. stem — to come from
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. ball — a great time
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. capital — money
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. ball — a dance

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