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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: fall · game · coach · stem · scale · field · safe · current

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. fall — to drop
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. scale — size or range
  10. current — of water
  11. field — for sport
  12. game — wild animals
  13. fall — the season
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. field — a subject
  17. field — farmland
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. current — happening now
  20. scale — in music
  21. game — a match
  22. stem — to come from
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. current — electric

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