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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
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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: staff · squash · ball · pitcher · wave · degree · coach · calf

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. staff — employees
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. degree — temperature
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. ball — a great time
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. ball — a dance
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. degree — an amount
  17. squash — to crush
  18. squash — the sport
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. staff — employees
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. staff — a stick
  23. degree — from a university
  24. calf — a young animal

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