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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: roll · calf · bound · saw · capital · ball · stem · coach

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. ball — a great time
  6. stem — to come from
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. capital — money
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. roll — a list
  11. bound — obliged
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. roll — a cake
  15. saw — the tool
  16. capital — a city
  17. saw — the tool
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. ball — a dance
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bound — certain
  24. coach — a trainer

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