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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: object · stem · coach · pop · chair · lash · stand · bowl

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. pop — music
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. object — to protest
  7. object — a thing
  8. chair — a leader
  9. stand — to bear
  10. object — an aim
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. stem — to come from
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. pop — soda
  23. pop — to visit
  24. lash — an eyelash

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