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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: content · board · lash · pitcher · row · deal · stem · perch

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. row — a line
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. board — a committee
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. content — the amount
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. stem — to come from
  16. perch — the fish
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. deal — to handle
  20. board — to get on
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. content — happy
  23. row — to paddle
  24. stem — a stem cell

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