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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: stem · coach · shower · object · track · cabinet · stand · racket

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. track — a song
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. track — a path
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. shower — rain
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. object — a thing
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. object — to protest
  16. object — an aim
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. track — to keep track
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. shower — to wash
  21. stand — to bear
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. coach — a trainer

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