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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: sharp · tube · stem · scale · pitch · leaves · prune · board

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. tube — a container
  3. stem — to come from
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. sharp — clever
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. prune — to trim
  11. board — a committee
  12. scale — in music
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. tube — the underground
  18. prune — to trim
  19. board — to get on
  20. pitch — completely
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. scale — size or range
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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