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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: swing · content · deal · band · coach · object · calf · stand

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. band — a music group
  3. swing — to play on
  4. stand — to bear
  5. object — a thing
  6. object — to protest
  7. content — the amount
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. deal — to handle
  12. object — an aim
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. swing — in golf
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. band — a ring
  22. swing — music
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. content — happy

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