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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: calf · root · branch · pitcher · swing · coach · key · nail

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. swing — in golf
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. swing — to play on
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. key — the most important part
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. key — for a lock
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. root — the cause
  18. root — of a plant
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. swing — music
  22. key — in music
  23. root — of a word
  24. branch — a division

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