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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: coach · season · ruler · toast · stem · net · ground · fall

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. fall — the season
  4. toast — bread
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. fall — to drop
  7. ground — crushed
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. ground — the earth
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. net — for catching
  12. season — of the year
  13. season — in sport
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. fall — to drop
  16. net — in sport
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. stem — to come from
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. net — after costs
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. stem — of a plant

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