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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.

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: coach · ground · tear · trunk · game · drill · bowl · calf

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. game — a match
  6. ground — crushed
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. ground — the earth
  9. drill — the tool
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. ground — a position
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. drill — a practice
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — to rip
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. game — wild animals
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. tear — from crying

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