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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 · can · stem · kid · bay · bore · board · foot

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. bore — to drill
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. kid — child
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. board — to get on
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. can — a tin
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. board — a committee
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. foot — a measure
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. can — to be able to
  19. bore — to tire
  20. can — a tin
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. kid — to tease
  24. board — a flat piece

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