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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 · stem · land · stand · shower · board · coach · cell

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. shower — to wash
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. stand — to bear
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. shower — rain
  10. land — a country
  11. board — to get on
  12. stem — to come from
  13. cell — a phone
  14. cell — in biology
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. board — a committee
  17. track — to keep track
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. track — a song
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. track — a path
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. land — ground

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