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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: leaves · present · bank · firm · pitcher · land · foot · stem

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. bank — of a river
  3. firm — a company
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. firm — decided
  7. stem — to come from
  8. land — ground
  9. foot — a measure
  10. bank — for money
  11. land — to come down
  12. present — there
  13. firm — steady
  14. land — a country
  15. present — the time now
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. bank — for money
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. present — a gift
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. foot — part of the body

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