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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: rock · charge · stem · stick · land · pitch · present · board

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. land — ground
  4. rock — music
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. land — a country
  7. land — to come down
  8. present — a gift
  9. charge — electricity
  10. charge — in control
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. stem — to come from
  13. pitch — completely
  14. charge — a price
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. board — to get on
  19. rock — a stone
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. present — the time now
  22. present — there
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. board — a committee

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