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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 120 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: stem · chest · board · degree · temple · march · bay · pitcher

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — a box
  3. march — the month
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. board — to get on
  8. stem — to come from
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. chest — of your body
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. degree — temperature
  16. march — the month
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. board — a committee
  19. march — music
  20. degree — an amount
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. degree — from a university

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