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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. season — in sport
  3. board — a committee
  4. season — of the year
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. can — to be able to
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. can — a tin
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. board — to get on
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. can — a tin
  18. stem — to come from
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. pound — a weight
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. pitcher — a jug

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