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

Word bank: stick · club · coach · file · branch · calf

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. club — a group
  6. file — a document
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. club — for dancing
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. branch — a division
  15. club — for golf
  16. file — a line of people
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. file — a tool

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