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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
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: arm · pitch · season · coach · ball · pound · stem · board

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pitch — completely
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ball — a great time
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. stem — to come from
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. board — a committee
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. season — in sport
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. season — of the year
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. board — to get on
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. pound — a weight
  24. arm — a part of something

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