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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: club · row · net · arm · branch · fan · calf · bark

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. net — for catching
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. branch — a division
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bark — to shout
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. club — for dancing
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. net — in sport
  14. club — for golf
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. row — to paddle
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. net — after costs
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. row — a line
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. club — a group
  24. bark — of a tree

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