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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: firm · jam · calf · roll · racket · branch · club · toast

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. roll — a cake
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. club — for golf
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. club — a group
  13. club — for dancing
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. branch — a division
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. toast — bread
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. roll — a list
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. firm — decided
  24. firm — steady

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