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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 120 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 · field · club · stem · lean · cap · board · present

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. field — farmland
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. lean — thin
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. board — to get on
  7. cap — a hat
  8. lean — to bend
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. club — for dancing
  11. present — a gift
  12. stem — to come from
  13. field — for sport
  14. club — for golf
  15. cap — a lid
  16. board — a committee
  17. club — a group
  18. field — a subject
  19. present — there
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. present — the time now
  22. cap — of ice
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. stem — of a plant

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