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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: capital · calf · board · racket · bat · coach · bore · branch

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. board — to get on
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. capital — money
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. branch — a division
  11. bat — the animal
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. board — a committee
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. bore — to tire
  21. capital — a city
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bore — to drill
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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