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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: bank · object · staff · content · stem · wake · toast · bass

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bank — for money
  4. staff — employees
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. staff — a stick
  7. stem — to come from
  8. toast — bread
  9. bank — for money
  10. staff — employees
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. object — to protest
  13. object — a thing
  14. object — an aim
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. content — happy
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. bass — the fish
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. bank — of a river
  22. wake — a trail
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. content — the amount

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