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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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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: stem · jam · rest · coach · board · mark

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — a break
  7. board — to get on
  8. rest — what's left
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. stem — to come from
  13. mark — a grade
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. board — a committee
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. mark — a trace

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