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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 116 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: coach · spell · calf · wake · root · perch · present · club

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. spell — magic
  5. wake — a trail
  6. spell — a short time
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. club — for dancing
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. club — a group
  11. present — the time now
  12. spell — letters
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. present — there
  15. perch — the fish
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. present — a gift
  18. root — of a plant
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. club — for golf
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. root — of a word
  24. root — the cause

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