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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: game · staff · toast · dip · field · calf · branch · ball

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. game — a match
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. field — for sport
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. staff — employees
  10. field — farmland
  11. toast — bread
  12. ball — a dance
  13. branch — a division
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. staff — employees
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. game — wild animals
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. field — a subject
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. staff — a stick
  23. dip — to sink
  24. ball — a round shape

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