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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: calf · bowl · vault · firm · kid · branch · wound · club

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. branch — a division
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. club — for golf
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. vault — a safe
  15. kid — child
  16. wound — an injury
  17. firm — a company
  18. kid — to tease
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. club — for dancing
  21. firm — decided
  22. firm — steady
  23. wound — an injury
  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