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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.

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: firm · coach · ball · root · calf · wave · rule · bat

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. firm — decided
  3. root — of a word
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. firm — steady
  12. bat — the animal
  13. rule — government
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. root — of a plant
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. ball — a dance
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. firm — a company
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. ball — a great time
  23. root — the cause
  24. rule — a law

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