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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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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 · band · club · net · track · bay · board · pitcher

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. net — in sport
  3. club — for golf
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. net — for catching
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. track — to keep track
  8. band — a music group
  9. stem — to come from
  10. net — after costs
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — to get on
  13. track — a path
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. club — a group
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. track — a song
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. club — for dancing
  24. band — a ring

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