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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: foot · present · cell · coach · calf · club

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. foot — a measure
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. present — the time now
  7. present — there
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. cell — a phone
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. club — a group
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — for dancing
  16. cell — in biology
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. foot — part of the body

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