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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.

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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: deal · cabinet · squash · calf · fine · cold · board · coach

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. cold — not warm
  6. cold — an illness
  7. board — to get on
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. deal — to handle
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. squash — the sport
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. fine — all right
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. fine — high quality
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. board — a committee
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. squash — to crush

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