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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: net · stem · kid · bank · cabinet · bulb · squash · band

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. kid — to tease
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. squash — the sport
  6. band — a music group
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bank — for money
  11. net — for catching
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. stem — to come from
  15. net — after costs
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. kid — child
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. squash — to crush
  20. bulb — for light
  21. band — a ring
  22. bank — for money
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. squash — the vegetable

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