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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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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: board · fork · pit · perch · net · lash · hand · stem

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. board — a committee
  8. fork — in a road
  9. stem — to come from
  10. net — for catching
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. board — to get on
  13. net — after costs
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. hand — help
  17. hand — in cards
  18. pit — a hole
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. net — in sport
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. pit — in a race
  23. perch — the fish
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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