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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: root · calf · branch · court · coach · pitcher · tear · stick

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. court — of law
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. tear — from crying
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. root — the cause
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. root — of a word
  14. branch — a division
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. court — of a king
  19. root — of a plant
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. court — for sport
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — to rip
  24. coach — a trainer

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