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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 116 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
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: lie · club · net · field · tube · root · calf · coach

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. tube — the underground
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. tube — a container
  5. root — the cause
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. club — a group
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. club — for golf
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. field — farmland
  14. root — of a word
  15. field — for sport
  16. club — for dancing
  17. lie — to recline
  18. net — in sport
  19. net — after costs
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. root — of a plant
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. field — a subject

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