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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: kid · coach · cue · stem · current · face · board · ball

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. ball — a dance
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. cue — a hint
  6. face — part of the head
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. stem — to come from
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — to point toward
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. board — a committee
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. ball — a great time
  15. cue — a signal
  16. board — to get on
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. current — happening now
  19. kid — child
  20. kid — to tease
  21. current — of water
  22. cue — for pool
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. current — electric

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