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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: bear · sharp · coach · band · calf · object · pitcher · game

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  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. bear — the animal
  2. game — a match
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. object — to protest
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. object — a thing
  10. object — an aim
  11. sharp — clever
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bear — the animal
  15. band — a ring
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. game — wild animals
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. band — a music group
  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