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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: bank · can · straw · foot · perch · stem · race · court

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. race — humankind
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. court — of a king
  5. court — of law
  6. bank — of a river
  7. perch — the fish
  8. stem — to come from
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. race — a contest
  12. can — a tin
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. bank — for money
  15. court — for sport
  16. can — to be able to
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. foot — a measure
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. can — a tin
  24. race — the arms race

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