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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: club · cell · wave · stem · pass · scale · coach · field

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. scale — size or range
  5. cell — in biology
  6. field — for sport
  7. pass — a permit
  8. club — a group
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. stem — to come from
  11. club — for golf
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. club — for dancing
  15. field — farmland
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. scale — in music
  18. cell — a phone
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. field — a subject

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