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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · bore · content · stem · mine · squash · coach · pit

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bear — the animal
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. pit — a hole
  6. content — happy
  7. mine — for digging
  8. content — the amount
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bore — to drill
  11. stem — to come from
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. squash — to crush
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bore — to tire
  21. squash — the sport
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. pit — in a race
  24. content — videos and posts

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