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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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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: pound · fine · firm · stem · lean · mine · pitch · board

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. mine — for digging
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. stem — to come from
  7. firm — a company
  8. board — to get on
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. fine — all right
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. lean — thin
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. firm — steady
  19. board — a committee
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. firm — decided
  22. fine — high quality
  23. pitch — completely
  24. lean — to bend

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