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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: bore · court · calf · branch · board · fan · mug · vault

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. branch — a division
  7. bore — to drill
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. mug — a cup
  12. court — for sport
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mug — a face
  16. court — of law
  17. bore — to tire
  18. court — of a king
  19. board — a committee
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. vault — a safe
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. board — to get on
  24. branch — of a bank

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