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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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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: bowl · ruler · calf · branch · ball · cell · field · content

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. cell — a phone
  3. branch — a division
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. ball — a great time
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. cell — in biology
  8. field — a subject
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. field — farmland
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. content — happy
  22. field — for sport
  23. content — the amount
  24. ball — a dance

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