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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 116 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 · staff · tube · scale · ground · snap · bay · coach

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. ground — the earth
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. scale — in music
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. scale — size or range
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. stem — to come from
  11. staff — employees
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. ground — a position
  16. staff — employees
  17. ground — crushed
  18. tube — a container
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. tube — the underground
  22. snap — to click
  23. staff — a stick
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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