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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.

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: bear · saw · stem · fork · scale · board · pitch · game

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. saw — the tool
  3. board — a committee
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stem — to come from
  6. board — to get on
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. scale — in music
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. game — a match
  14. scale — size or range
  15. bear — the animal
  16. pitch — completely
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. bear — the animal
  22. saw — the tool
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. fork — in a road

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