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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.

Make a worksheet

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: board · cap · track · wake · stick · calf · coach · scale

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  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. calf — a young animal
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. track — to keep track
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. track — a path
  6. track — a song
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cap — of ice
  10. wake — a trail
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. cap — a lid
  14. scale — size or range
  15. scale — in music
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. board — to get on
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. board — a committee
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wake — before a funeral
  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