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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: swing · pop · drill · hide · calf · court · coach · perch

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — music
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. swing — music
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. perch — the fish
  11. swing — to play on
  12. drill — army training
  13. pop — to visit
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. court — of law
  16. court — of a king
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. court — for sport
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. drill — the tool
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. drill — a practice
  24. hide — to keep secret

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