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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: fine · pitcher · stem · bay · cap · bear · wind · coach

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. fine — high quality
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. cap — of ice
  12. wind — moving air
  13. cap — a lid
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. cap — a hat
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. fine — all right
  21. bear — the animal
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. stem — to come from
  24. wind — moving air

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