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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: ruler · band · calf · cue · coach · rash · club · mate

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. cue — a signal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. rash — a series
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. club — for golf
  8. mate — a friend
  9. cue — for pool
  10. club — for dancing
  11. band — a music group
  12. cue — a hint
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. band — a ring
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. rash — hasty
  21. club — a group
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mate — to breed

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