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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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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: game · face · deal · branch · coach · bass · mark · stem

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. face — part of the head
  5. mark — a trace
  6. game — a match
  7. stem — to come from
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. game — wild animals
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. face — to point toward
  12. face — to confront
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. deal — to handle
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. mark — a grade
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. branch — a division
  20. bass — low music
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. bass — the fish

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