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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. cue — for pool
  5. fine — all right
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. fine — high quality
  8. cue — a hint
  9. spell — magic
  10. object — an aim
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. spell — a short time
  17. object — to protest
  18. cue — a signal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. spell — letters
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. object — a thing
  24. calf — a young animal

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