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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: spell · pitcher · stem · chair · coach · rock · bear · saw

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. rock — music
  3. bear — the animal
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — a stone
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. saw — the tool
  11. stem — to come from
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. chair — a leader
  18. spell — a short time
  19. saw — the tool
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. spell — letters
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. stem — of a plant

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