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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: suit · last · branch · calf · row · pitcher · game · roll

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. branch — a division
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. suit — to fit
  9. last — final
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. last — finally
  12. suit — in cards
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. game — wild animals
  16. roll — a list
  17. row — a line
  18. roll — a cake
  19. row — to paddle
  20. game — a match
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. suit — clothes
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. last — to go on

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