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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: board · jam · drill · patient · prune · pitch · fall · stem

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. prune — to trim
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. fall — the season
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. board — to get on
  9. stem — to come from
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — army training
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. fall — to drop
  15. board — a committee
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. fall — to drop
  20. pitch — completely
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. drill — the tool

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