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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: key · game · calf · bank · stem · branch · current · land

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. key — for a lock
  4. stem — to come from
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. bank — for money
  8. current — of water
  9. game — a match
  10. land — ground
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. key — the most important part
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bank — for money
  15. current — electric
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. current — happening now
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. land — to come down
  21. branch — a division
  22. key — in music
  23. game — wild animals
  24. land — a country

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