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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: ball · coach · stem · saw · hand · craft · club · pop

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. stem — to come from
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. pop — music
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. craft — boats
  9. club — for dancing
  10. club — a group
  11. craft — a skill
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. hand — help
  14. ball — a great time
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. ball — a dance
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pop — soda
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. hand — in cards
  23. club — for golf
  24. pop — to visit

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