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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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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: stick · coach · cue · foot · bank · stem · chest · perch

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. chest — of your body
  9. foot — a measure
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stem — to come from
  13. bank — for money
  14. chest — a box
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. cue — a hint
  17. bank — of a river
  18. cue — for pool
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. perch — the fish
  22. cue — a signal
  23. chest — of your body
  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