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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: racket · calf · deal · patient · ball · coach · drill · kick

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. drill — a practice
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. deal — to handle
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. drill — the tool
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. ball — a great time
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. drill — army training
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. ball — a dance
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. kick — in football
  24. racket — for tennis

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