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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
468
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: ball · coach · racket · patient · calf · cold · saw · pitch

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. pitch — completely
  4. ball — a dance
  5. saw — the tool
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. ball — a great time
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. cold — not warm
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. saw — the tool
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. cold — an illness
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. calf — of the leg

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