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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
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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: stock · pitch · board · content · stem · lean · mug · vault

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. mug — a cup
  3. pitch — completely
  4. lean — thin
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. content — the amount
  7. lean — to bend
  8. stock — shares
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. stem — to come from
  11. board — a committee
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. mug — to rob
  17. content — happy
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. stock — goods
  21. mug — a face
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. vault — a safe
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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