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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 120 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: coach · mark · saw · pop · pitch · fan · cold · calf

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. mark — a trace
  4. cold — an illness
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. pop — soda
  9. pop — to visit
  10. saw — the tool
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. mark — a grade
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. cold — not warm
  18. pitch — completely
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. pop — music
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. saw — the tool
  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