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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: net · spell · stem · bound · ground · trunk · press · coach

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. ground — the earth
  7. ground — a position
  8. spell — a short time
  9. bound — certain
  10. stem — to come from
  11. spell — magic
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. ground — crushed
  15. press — a publisher
  16. net — after costs
  17. spell — letters
  18. bound — tied together
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bound — obliged
  21. press — to push
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. press — newspapers
  24. net — for catching

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