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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 · pop · arm · staff · game · root · craft · stem

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. game — wild animals
  6. pop — soda
  7. craft — boats
  8. craft — a skill
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. root — of a plant
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. pop — music
  14. root — of a word
  15. stem — to come from
  16. staff — a stick
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. pop — to visit
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. staff — employees
  23. game — a match
  24. root — the cause

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