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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: pitcher · calf · kick · bound · row · bore · race · branch

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bore — to drill
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. kick — in football
  8. race — humankind
  9. branch — a division
  10. race — the arms race
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. race — a contest
  13. bound — obliged
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. row — a line
  16. bound — certain
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. row — to paddle
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. bore — gave birth

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