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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: pitcher · board · arm · net · bowl · stem · bear · saw

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. board — a committee
  8. net — in sport
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. net — after costs
  11. stem — to come from
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. bear — the animal
  14. saw — the tool
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. net — for catching
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. board — to get on

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