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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 · bass · stick · pitcher · season · stem · firm · land

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. land — a country
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. board — to get on
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. firm — steady
  14. land — ground
  15. board — a committee
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. firm — decided
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. land — to come down
  21. season — of the year
  22. bass — low music
  23. season — in sport
  24. firm — a company

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