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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: stem · current · hand · wave · bowl · cap · coach · field

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. current — electric
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. cap — a hat
  6. field — farmland
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. field — for sport
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. field — a subject
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. cap — a lid
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. stem — to come from
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. hand — help
  20. current — of water
  21. hand — in cards
  22. cap — of ice
  23. current — happening now
  24. coach — a trainer

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