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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.

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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: hide · coach · calf · nail · stock · racket · board · hand

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. stock — shares
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. board — to get on
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. board — a committee
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. stock — goods
  16. hand — in cards
  17. hand — help
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. nail — on a finger

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