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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: pound · patient · ruler · calf · coach · racket

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pound — a weight
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. coach — a trainer

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