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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: chip · bound · club · coach · calf · court · wave · pound

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. chip — for betting
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bound — certain
  8. court — of law
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. club — for golf
  11. bound — obliged
  12. club — a group
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. chip — to eat
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. court — of a king
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. court — for sport
  19. bound — tied together
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. pound — a weight
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. club — for dancing

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