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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: pitch · stem · board · jam · squash · leaves · stock · bass

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. bass — the fish
  5. board — a committee
  6. board — to get on
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. stock — goods
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. squash — the sport
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. bass — low music
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. stem — to come from
  19. pitch — completely
  20. squash — to crush
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. stock — shares

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