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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: sharp · tube · pit · stem · coach · cabinet · wound · scale

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. tube — the underground
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. stem — to come from
  5. scale — in music
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. scale — size or range
  11. sharp — clever
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. tube — a container
  15. pit — in a race
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. wound — an injury
  22. pit — a hole
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. sharp — with an edge

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