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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 120 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: suit · stem · rock · cold · ground · mug · club · coach

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. club — for golf
  3. ground — crushed
  4. rock — music
  5. cold — an illness
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. club — a group
  9. mug — to rob
  10. suit — in cards
  11. suit — clothes
  12. mug — a cup
  13. cold — not warm
  14. ground — the earth
  15. club — for dancing
  16. mug — a face
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. stem — to come from
  20. rock — a stone
  21. suit — to fit
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. ground — a position

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