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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.

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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: bore · calf · rock · club · fine · coach · field · kid

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  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. rock — to move gently
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. rock — music
  4. kid — to tease
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. fine — all right
  7. club — a group
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. kid — child
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. field — farmland
  12. club — for golf
  13. fine — high quality
  14. field — for sport
  15. bore — to tire
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. bore — to drill
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. rock — a stone
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. club — for dancing
  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