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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 116 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: staff · cap · net · shower · squash · track · branch · calf

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. shower — rain
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. track — to keep track
  5. net — in sport
  6. staff — employees
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. staff — a stick
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. cap — of ice
  11. track — a song
  12. track — a path
  13. staff — employees
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. net — for catching
  16. squash — to crush
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. squash — the sport
  20. cap — a lid
  21. net — after costs
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. shower — to wash
  24. branch — a division

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