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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: board · file · ball · stem · fan · ruler · hand · pitch

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. board — to get on
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a dance
  7. hand — in cards
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. board — a committee
  10. pitch — completely
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. file — a tool
  14. ball — a great time
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. file — a document
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. stem — to come from
  23. hand — help
  24. ruler — for measuring

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