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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: pit · land · stem · bay · plane · field · clip · bank

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. stem — to come from
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. clip — to cut
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bank — of a river
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. pit — a hole
  9. clip — a video
  10. field — a subject
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. plane — a tool
  14. land — to come down
  15. pit — in a race
  16. bank — for money
  17. land — a country
  18. field — for sport
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. land — ground
  22. field — farmland
  23. clip — for paper
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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