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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: bore · racket · club · coach · calf · deal · leaves · wake

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. bore — to drill
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. club — for dancing
  8. bore — to tire
  9. wake — a trail
  10. club — a group
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. deal — to handle
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. wake — before a funeral
  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