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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 · object · drill · fork · stem · stand · bound · cue

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. drill — army training
  4. stand — to bear
  5. drill — the tool
  6. drill — a practice
  7. bound — obliged
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — a signal
  10. fork — in a road
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. bound — tied together
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. stem — to come from
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. bound — certain
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. cue — for pool
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. object — an aim
  24. object — a thing

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