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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.

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: board · bass · lash · stem · game · roll · fork · content

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fork — in a road
  6. stem — to come from
  7. board — to get on
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. content — the amount
  10. game — wild animals
  11. roll — a cake
  12. game — a match
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. board — a committee
  15. roll — a list
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. content — happy
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. bass — low music

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