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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.

Make a worksheet

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: cue · row · bay · march · coach · stem · bass · game

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. row — a line
  4. game — wild animals
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. march — the month
  12. march — music
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. cue — a signal
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. march — the month
  17. bass — the fish
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cue — a hint
  20. bass — low music
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. game — a match
  23. stem — to come from
  24. row — to paddle

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