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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 120 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: calf · wake · march · coach · ball · pitcher · press · game

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. press — a publisher
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. march — the month
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. game — wild animals
  11. press — newspapers
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a dance
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. march — the month
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. game — a match
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. march — music
  24. press — to push

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