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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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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: rock · stem · toast · bear · net · pitch · band · squash

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. net — for catching
  4. toast — bread
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pitch — completely
  7. squash — to crush
  8. net — after costs
  9. band — a music group
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. squash — the sport
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. rock — a stone
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. net — in sport
  17. bear — the animal
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. rock — music
  22. band — a ring
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. stem — to come from

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