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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: calf · game · coach · chest · cap · date

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. chest — of your body
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. cap — a hat
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. game — a match
  7. game — wild animals
  8. chest — a box
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. cap — of ice
  14. chest — of your body
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. date — the fruit
  17. cap — a lid
  18. coach — pulled by horses

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