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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: bay · scale · can · craft · stem · rest · present · coach

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. scale — size or range
  3. rest — a break
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. can — to be able to
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. craft — a skill
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. craft — boats
  14. can — a tin
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. scale — in music
  17. present — there
  18. present — the time now
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. can — a tin
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — what's left
  23. present — a gift
  24. stem — to come from

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