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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: stem · board · vault · row · staff · land · track · scale

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. row — a line
  5. land — ground
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. track — a song
  8. stem — to come from
  9. track — to keep track
  10. land — a country
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. vault — a safe
  16. board — a committee
  17. land — to come down
  18. staff — employees
  19. row — to paddle
  20. scale — size or range
  21. board — to get on
  22. track — a path
  23. staff — a stick
  24. scale — in music

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