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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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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: stem · pitcher · pass · bore · coach · key

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. key — the most important part
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. pass — a permit
  6. key — in music
  7. stem — to come from
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bore — to drill
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball

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