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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: pop · cue · roll · court · coach · chair · calf · mug

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. mug — to rob
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. chair — a leader
  6. cue — a hint
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. roll — a list
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. court — of a king
  11. mug — a face
  12. pop — music
  13. pop — to visit
  14. court — of law
  15. cue — a signal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. court — for sport
  18. mug — a cup
  19. cue — for pool
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. roll — a cake
  24. chair — a professorship

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