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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: roll · board · stem · calf · coach · perch · game · chest

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. game — wild animals
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. stem — to come from
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. roll — a list
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. roll — a cake
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. board — to get on
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. board — a committee
  19. perch — the fish
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. chest — of your body
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chest — a box

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