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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: game · stem · deal · bank · lie · pop · swing · land

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. land — ground
  3. swing — music
  4. pop — soda
  5. land — to come down
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. land — a country
  9. pop — music
  10. swing — in golf
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. swing — to play on
  14. game — a match
  15. game — wild animals
  16. stem — to come from
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. lie — to recline
  20. deal — to handle
  21. pop — to visit
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bank — for money

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