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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · season · branch · chair · lean · calf · object · racket

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. branch — a division
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — of the year
  6. game — a match
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. chair — a leader
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. lean — thin
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. object — an aim
  19. lean — to bend
  20. object — to protest
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. object — a thing

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