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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: branch · calf · mug · board · wake · court · rock · staff

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. staff — a stick
  4. staff — employees
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. court — of law
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. branch — a division
  9. mug — a cup
  10. board — to get on
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. rock — music
  14. wake — a trail
  15. mug — to rob
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. court — for sport
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. staff — employees
  20. mug — a face
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. rock — a stone
  24. court — of a king

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