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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 116 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 · pitch · mine · staff · ground · board · mark · rock

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. stem — to come from
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. staff — a stick
  8. mark — a trace
  9. ground — crushed
  10. board — to get on
  11. staff — employees
  12. board — a committee
  13. rock — a stone
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. staff — employees
  16. ground — the earth
  17. ground — a position
  18. rock — music
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. pitch — completely
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. mine — for digging

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