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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pitch · board · swing · toast · bass · stem · branch · ball

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. branch — a division
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. ball — a great time
  6. bass — low music
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. pitch — completely
  12. board — a committee
  13. stem — to come from
  14. board — to get on
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ball — a dance
  17. swing — in golf
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. swing — to play on
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. toast — bread
  23. swing — music
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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