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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: coach · key · toast · stand · stem · pound · chip · ball

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. toast — bread
  4. pound — a weight
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. key — the most important part
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. stand — to bear
  9. chip — to eat
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. chip — for betting
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. key — in music
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. ball — a great time
  20. key — for a lock
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stem — to come from
  24. stand — for spectators

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