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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: net · hand · mug · mine · game · calf · branch · coach

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. branch — a division
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. mug — to rob
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. mug — a cup
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. hand — help
  11. game — wild animals
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mug — a face
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mine — for digging
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — after costs
  18. game — a match
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. net — in sport
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. game — a kind of play

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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