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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: board · pitcher · tear · jam · last · scale · stem · ball

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. scale — size or range
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. last — finally
  5. board — to get on
  6. board — a committee
  7. scale — in music
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. tear — to rip
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. ball — a great time
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. tear — from crying
  17. ball — a dance
  18. stem — to come from
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. last — final
  22. tear — from crying
  23. last — to go on
  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