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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: toast · coach · stem · scale · tube · key

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. key — for a lock
  3. scale — size or range
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. key — the most important part
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. tube — the underground
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. tube — a container
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. key — in music
  15. stem — to come from
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. scale — in music

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