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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: stem · court · pass · firm · cell · coach · bear · rush

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. rush — hurry
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. cell — a phone
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. cell — in biology
  8. court — of law
  9. firm — a company
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pass — a permit
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. stem — to come from
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. bear — the animal
  18. court — of a king
  19. firm — steady
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. court — for sport
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. rush — to hurry

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