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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · branch · board · roll · kid · band · mate · pitcher

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  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. mate — a friend
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. band — a ring
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. kid — to tease
  7. band — a music group
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. roll — a list
  13. board — to get on
  14. board — a committee
  15. branch — a division
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. mate — a partner
  18. roll — a cake
  19. kid — child
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. mate — to breed
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. board — a flat piece
  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