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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 · game · pass · wind · stem · object · toast · swing

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. game — a match
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. stem — to come from
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. object — an aim
  9. wind — moving air
  10. swing — music
  11. swing — to play on
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. object — to protest
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. swing — in golf
  17. game — wild animals
  18. pass — a permit
  19. wind — moving air
  20. object — a thing
  21. toast — bread
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. coach — a trainer

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