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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: deal · coach · calf · mate · pitcher · fall · track · cap

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. mate — a partner
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. fall — to drop
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. track — to keep track
  12. fall — the season
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mate — a friend
  15. fall — to drop
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. track — a path
  19. cap — a lid
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a hat
  24. track — a song

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