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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 116 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: season · coach · stem · ball · board · pound · object · press

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. object — an aim
  3. ball — a dance
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. ball — a great time
  6. press — newspapers
  7. season — in sport
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. stem — to come from
  11. press — a publisher
  12. season — of the year
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. press — to push
  16. board — to get on
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. object — a thing
  20. board — a committee
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. object — to protest
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. pound — a weight

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