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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 · pop · club · suit · band · craft · stick · cell

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. pop — to visit
  3. band — a music group
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. cell — in biology
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. club — for golf
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. craft — a skill
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. suit — clothes
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. band — a ring
  15. suit — in cards
  16. craft — boats
  17. club — a group
  18. club — for dancing
  19. cell — a phone
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. suit — to fit
  22. pop — soda
  23. pop — music
  24. craft — a handicraft

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