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

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — a stick
  5. squash — to crush
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. mark — a trace
  9. march — music
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mark — a grade
  15. land — ground
  16. land — a country
  17. squash — the sport
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. march — the month
  20. land — to come down
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. staff — employees
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. march — the month

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