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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: bank · mine · bear · suit · march · scale · stem · saw

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. march — the month
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. suit — clothes
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bear — the animal
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bank — of a river
  11. march — the month
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mine — for digging
  14. march — music
  15. suit — in cards
  16. scale — in music
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bank — for money
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. scale — size or range
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. saw — the tool
  23. stem — to come from
  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