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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: rock · stem · bat · key · can · craft · coach · suit

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. can — to be able to
  4. suit — in cards
  5. suit — clothes
  6. key — for a lock
  7. rock — music
  8. craft — boats
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. suit — to fit
  12. can — a tin
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stem — to come from
  18. bat — the animal
  19. rock — a stone
  20. key — in music
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. craft — a skill
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. key — the most important part

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