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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 120 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 · fan · calf · pound · mate · coach · branch · wound

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. wound — an injury
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. game — wild animals
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. branch — a division
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. mate — to breed
  17. wound — an injury
  18. mate — a partner
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. game — a match
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mate — a friend

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