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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rock · mate · stem · coach · spring · vault · march · field

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. field — for sport
  4. stem — to come from
  5. march — music
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. march — the month
  9. mate — a partner
  10. vault — a safe
  11. field — a subject
  12. spring — a coil
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mate — to breed
  15. field — farmland
  16. rock — a stone
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. march — the month
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. rock — music
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. spring — of water

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