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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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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: object · cue · swing · coach · fall · calf · date · row

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. cue — a signal
  3. swing — to play on
  4. row — a line
  5. swing — in golf
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cue — for pool
  8. swing — music
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. object — a thing
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — to drop
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. object — an aim
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. date — the fruit
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. row — to paddle
  23. fall — the season
  24. object — to protest

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