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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: mark · cue · bank · bowl · present · wax · stem · jam

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. bank — for money
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. cue — a signal
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. present — a gift
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. present — the time now
  11. mark — a grade
  12. wax — to grow
  13. bank — for money
  14. cue — a hint
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. cue — for pool
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. mark — a trace
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. stem — to come from
  24. present — there

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