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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: jam · bat · pitcher · fine · toast · lie · stem · bank

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. bank — for money
  5. fine — all right
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. bat — the animal
  10. stem — to come from
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. toast — bread
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bank — for money
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. lie — to recline
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. jam — in traffic

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