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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
468
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: bat · wound · coach · stand · scale · mark · root · stem

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. scale — in music
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bat — the animal
  8. root — of a word
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. stem — to come from
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. root — the cause
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. wound — an injury
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. root — of a plant
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. mark — a trace
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. scale — size or range
  24. stand — to bear

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