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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.

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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: foot · rule · calf · branch · fine · club · perch · wax

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. club — for golf
  3. branch — a division
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. club — a group
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. fine — all right
  10. foot — a measure
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. wax — to grow
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. rule — government
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. perch — the fish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. club — for dancing
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. rule — a law

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