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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: cabinet · stem · coach · spring · stock · pitcher · wake · spell

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. spring — a coil
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spring — of water
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. stock — shares
  15. spring — the season
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. stock — goods
  18. stem — to come from
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. wake — a trail
  22. spell — letters
  23. spell — magic
  24. pitcher — a jug

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