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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: bowl · perch · mate · bank · key · fan · stem · club

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. mate — to breed
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — for money
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. mate — a partner
  11. bank — of a river
  12. mate — a friend
  13. club — for dancing
  14. key — for a lock
  15. key — the most important part
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. club — for golf
  18. perch — the fish
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. key — in music
  21. stem — to come from
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. club — a group

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