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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 120 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 · race · coach · pop · press · foot · stand · sharp

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. pop — soda
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. stand — to bear
  6. press — to push
  7. race — humankind
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stem — to come from
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. sharp — clever
  16. pop — to visit
  17. race — the arms race
  18. press — a publisher
  19. press — newspapers
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. foot — a measure
  23. race — a contest
  24. pop — music

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