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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: track · date · bear · stem · tube · coach · calf · staff

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. staff — employees
  3. tube — a container
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. track — a song
  7. track — a path
  8. staff — a stick
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. stem — to come from
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. tube — the underground
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. staff — employees
  17. date — the fruit
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. track — to keep track
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. bear — the animal

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