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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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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 · pit · net · coach · perch · stick · file · last

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. net — in sport
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. perch — the fish
  6. file — a line of people
  7. last — final
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. last — finally
  10. last — to go on
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. stem — to come from
  14. file — a tool
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. pit — a hole
  17. net — for catching
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. net — after costs
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. pit — in a race
  24. file — a document

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