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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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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: field · mate · calf · squash · degree · bank · coach · wave

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. squash — the sport
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bank — for money
  5. mate — to breed
  6. degree — from a university
  7. degree — temperature
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bank — for money
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bank — of a river
  12. field — for sport
  13. squash — to crush
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. degree — an amount
  16. mate — a partner
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. field — farmland
  19. field — a subject
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. mate — a friend

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