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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: band · content · present · leaves · mouse · coach · racket · calf

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. present — the time now
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. band — a ring
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. content — the amount
  17. content — happy
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. present — a gift
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. present — there

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