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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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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: stem · perch · bank · key · stock · fork · band · swing

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — the fish
  3. key — the most important part
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. key — for a lock
  6. bank — for money
  7. stock — shares
  8. band — a music group
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. swing — to play on
  11. swing — music
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. swing — in golf
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. bank — of a river
  17. band — a ring
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. key — in music
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. stem — to come from
  22. fork — in a road
  23. bank — for money
  24. stock — goods

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