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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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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: branch · fine · ground · foot · pound · calf · hand · current

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. current — of water
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. pound — a weight
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. ground — the earth
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. current — electric
  11. current — happening now
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. ground — a position
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. fine — all right
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. hand — help
  19. ground — crushed
  20. fine — high quality
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. hand — in cards
  24. calf — a young animal

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