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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: mug · calf · land · cabinet · game · bore · branch · bat

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. game — a match
  9. land — to come down
  10. game — wild animals
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mug — a face
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. mug — to rob
  16. branch — a division
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bore — to tire
  20. land — ground
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. mug — a cup
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. land — a country

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