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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: calf · mouse · racket · shower · fine · row · swing · branch

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. shower — to wash
  3. shower — rain
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. fine — all right
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. fine — high quality
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. swing — music
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. swing — in golf
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. swing — to play on
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. row — to paddle
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. row — a line

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