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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 · trunk · stem · net · roll · board · leaves · scale

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. net — for catching
  3. net — after costs
  4. scale — size or range
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. board — to get on
  11. stem — to come from
  12. board — a committee
  13. roll — a list
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. scale — in music
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. roll — a cake
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. net — in sport

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