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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.

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: calf · pitcher · net · bat · season · branch · ball · fan

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. net — in sport
  5. net — after costs
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. ball — a dance
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. ball — a great time
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. branch — a division
  16. bat — the animal
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. net — for catching
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. season — in sport
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. season — of the year

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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