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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: bore · root · calf · pitcher · chest · firm · coach · saw

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. root — the cause
  4. root — of a plant
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bore — to tire
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. chest — a box
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bore — to drill
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — of your body
  17. firm — decided
  18. root — of a word
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. firm — steady
  24. firm — a company

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