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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a path
  5. court — for sport
  6. board — a committee
  7. court — of law
  8. branch — a division
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. saw — the tool
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. board — to get on
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. track — a song
  15. deal — to handle
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. court — of a king
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. saw — the tool
  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