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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 116 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: present · pitch · board · band · perch · stem · squash · track

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. board — to get on
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. stem — to come from
  6. band — a ring
  7. squash — the sport
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. band — a music group
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. track — to keep track
  14. pitch — completely
  15. present — a gift
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. track — a path
  18. present — there
  19. board — a committee
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. track — a song
  22. squash — to crush
  23. present — the time now
  24. perch — the fish

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