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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: game · stand · board · can · coach · date · sharp · stem

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. can — to be able to
  6. stem — to come from
  7. can — a tin
  8. board — a committee
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. stand — to bear
  11. board — to get on
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. game — a match
  15. date — the fruit
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. can — a tin
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. sharp — clever
  20. game — wild animals
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  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