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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: stand · ball · pitcher · root · wake · coach · bore · stem

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. root — the cause
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. stand — to bear
  12. ball — a great time
  13. wake — a trail
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bore — to drill
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. root — of a plant
  21. root — of a word
  22. stem — to come from
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bore — to tire

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