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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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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. suit — clothes
  3. season — of the year
  4. club — for golf
  5. tube — the underground
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. branch — a division
  9. club — a group
  10. fork — in a road
  11. suit — in cards
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. staff — employees
  14. suit — to fit
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. tube — a container
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. season — in sport
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. staff — employees
  23. club — for dancing
  24. fork — to eat with

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