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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: club · leaves · perch · stem · stand · game · band · mark

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. game — wild animals
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stem — to come from
  6. club — for dancing
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. game — a match
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. band — a ring
  11. club — a group
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. mark — a grade
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. band — a music group
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. club — for golf
  21. mark — a trace
  22. perch — the fish
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. band — a rubber band

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