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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: club · cap · tear · calf · season · ground · rock · coach

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. cap — a lid
  3. ground — a position
  4. rock — music
  5. ground — the earth
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. club — for golf
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. tear — from crying
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. tear — from crying
  14. club — for dancing
  15. tear — to rip
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. cap — of ice
  18. ground — crushed
  19. season — of the year
  20. club — a group
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. rock — a stone
  23. season — in sport
  24. cap — a hat

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