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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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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: date · board · trunk · lean · stem · pass · pitcher · perch

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. date — the fruit
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. lean — thin
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. pass — a permit
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. board — a committee
  14. stem — to come from
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. lean — to bend
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. perch — the fish
  24. pass — to spend time

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