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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: tear · board · stem · bank · rest · pitch

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. bank — of a river
  3. stem — to come from
  4. rest — what's left
  5. tear — to rip
  6. bank — for money
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — from crying
  9. pitch — completely
  10. rest — a break
  11. board — a committee
  12. rest — what's left
  13. board — to get on
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. 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