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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 · lie · jam · bowl · band · stem · fork · land

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bank — for money
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. fork — in a road
  5. bank — of a river
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. band — a music group
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. stem — to come from
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. land — a country
  16. lie — to recline
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. band — a ring
  19. land — to come down
  20. bank — for money
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. land — ground
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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