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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: chest · stem · pop · suit · fine · coach · cell · current

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. pop — music
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. current — electric
  5. pop — soda
  6. stem — to come from
  7. suit — in cards
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. pop — to visit
  11. current — of water
  12. fine — high quality
  13. current — happening now
  14. cell — in biology
  15. fine — all right
  16. chest — of your body
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. suit — clothes
  21. suit — to fit
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. cell — a phone
  24. chest — of your body

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