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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: pit · object · bowl · file · stem · pitch · board · ground

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pit — in a race
  4. file — a line of people
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pit — a hole
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. file — a tool
  11. stem — to come from
  12. ground — a position
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. board — a committee
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. object — a thing
  17. ground — the earth
  18. file — a document
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. object — to protest
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. object — an aim
  23. ground — crushed
  24. pitch — completely

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