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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: toast · game · coach · date · stem · tube

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. date — the fruit
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. toast — bread
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. tube — the underground
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. stem — to come from
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. game — wild animals
  16. tube — a container
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. game — a match

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