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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: bark · toast · pitcher · stem · file · mate · band · board

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. file — a document
  3. band — a music group
  4. bark — to shout
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mate — a friend
  8. band — a ring
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. board — a committee
  14. file — a line of people
  15. board — to get on
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. file — a tool
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. toast — bread
  22. stem — to come from
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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