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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: coach · pitcher · pass · calf · key · deal

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. key — the most important part
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. deal — to handle
  10. pass — a permit
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — in music

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