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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 · bowl · spell · ruler · band · ground · fork · stem

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. ground — crushed
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. ground — the earth
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. stem — to come from
  8. spell — letters
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. band — a music group
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. band — a ring
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. spell — magic
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. spell — a short time
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. fork — in a road
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ground — a position

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