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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: branch · date · coach · club · game · ruler · calf · lie

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. club — for dancing
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. game — wild animals
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. branch — a division
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. lie — to recline
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. club — a group
  20. club — for golf
  21. date — the fruit
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. game — a match
  24. lie — an untruth

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