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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: band · row · charge · court · roll · branch · dip · calf

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. band — a ring
  4. row — to paddle
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. branch — a division
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. roll — a list
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. band — a music group
  11. court — of law
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. court — of a king
  14. charge — in control
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. charge — a price
  19. court — for sport
  20. dip — to sink
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. row — a line
  24. charge — electricity

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