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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: stem · game · cap · scale · bank · calf · wound · coach

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. bank — for money
  3. cap — a lid
  4. scale — size or range
  5. bank — of a river
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wound — an injury
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. wound — an injury
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. scale — in music
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. cap — of ice
  21. cap — a hat
  22. game — a match
  23. stem — to come from
  24. bank — for money

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