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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: calf · cold · net · kick · coach · board · stem · swing

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  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. board — to get on
  2. board — a committee
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. cold — an illness
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. swing — music
  7. net — for catching
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. stem — to come from
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. kick — in football
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. swing — in golf
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. swing — to play on
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. net — in sport
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. cold — not warm
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. net — after costs
  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