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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 116 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: rock · ball · calf · branch · club · fall · pitcher · rush

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. ball — a dance
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. club — for dancing
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. fall — to drop
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rock — music
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. fall — the season
  12. rock — a stone
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. ball — a great time
  18. club — for golf
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. club — a group
  22. fall — to drop
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. pitcher — a jug

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