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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: coach · present · rock · press · stem · spell · rush · pitcher

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. spell — magic
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. rock — music
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. spell — letters
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. stem — to come from
  13. present — there
  14. press — a publisher
  15. press — to push
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. spell — a short time
  18. rush — hurry
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. press — newspapers
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. rock — a stone
  24. present — the time now

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