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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: coach · pop · staff · craft · stem · bear · degree · band

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. band — a music group
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. stem — to come from
  7. staff — a stick
  8. degree — from a university
  9. degree — temperature
  10. pop — music
  11. pop — to visit
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. craft — a skill
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. craft — boats
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. pop — soda
  18. bear — the animal
  19. staff — employees
  20. bear — the animal
  21. degree — an amount
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. staff — employees
  24. band — a ring

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