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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 120 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: calf · coach · rule · field · sharp · mouse · cap · race

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. rule — a law
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. cap — of ice
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. cap — a lid
  8. race — a contest
  9. field — farmland
  10. field — a subject
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. cap — a hat
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. race — humankind
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. field — for sport
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. sharp — clever
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. race — the arms race
  24. rule — government

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