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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 · coach · fine · rule · season · game · deal · kick

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. 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. deal — an agreement
  2. season — of the year
  3. fine — all right
  4. rule — a law
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. game — wild animals
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. fine — high quality
  11. rule — government
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. game — a match
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. season — in sport
  18. deal — to handle
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. kick — in football
  24. 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