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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.

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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
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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: fork · game · last · calf · content · coach · stand · bore

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  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. calf — a young animal
  2. last — finally
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bore — to tire
  5. fork — in a road
  6. stand — to bear
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. content — the amount
  10. last — final
  11. game — a match
  12. game — wild animals
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. content — happy
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. last — to go on
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. bore — to drill
  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