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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: bear · stem · current · bowl · jam · leaves · coach · capital

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. capital — a city
  5. bear — the animal
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. capital — money
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. current — of water
  17. current — electric
  18. current — happening now
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. stem — to come from
  24. bear — the animal

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