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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. stem — to come from
  6. board — to get on
  7. board — a committee
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. content — the amount
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. content — happy
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cap — of ice
  17. branch — a division
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. drill — a practice
  21. staff — a stick
  22. cap — a hat
  23. drill — army training
  24. drill — the tool

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