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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: lie · field · lean · track · bass · coach · stem · march

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. march — music
  6. field — a subject
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. march — the month
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. track — to keep track
  11. lean — to bend
  12. march — the month
  13. track — a path
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bass — low music
  17. stem — to come from
  18. field — for sport
  19. field — farmland
  20. lean — thin
  21. lie — to recline
  22. track — a song
  23. bass — the fish
  24. stem — a stem cell

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