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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. rule — a law
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. tube — the underground
  6. rule — government
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bank — of a river
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. bank — for money
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. stem — to come from
  16. tube — a container
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. ball — a dance
  22. bank — for money
  23. ball — a great time
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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