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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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468
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: roll · rash · board · spring · bore · stem · pitch · plane

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. plane — a tool
  3. board — to get on
  4. spring — of water
  5. board — a committee
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. pitch — completely
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. bore — to drill
  10. spring — a coil
  11. stem — to come from
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. bore — to tire
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. rash — a series
  16. roll — a list
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. roll — a cake
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. rash — hasty
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. stem — a stem cell

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