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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: bat · pop · scale · stem · branch · swing · calf · board

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. board — a committee
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. scale — size or range
  6. pop — to visit
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. branch — a division
  9. bat — the animal
  10. scale — in music
  11. pop — soda
  12. stem — to come from
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. swing — to play on
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. swing — music
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. pop — music
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. board — to get on
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. swing — in golf

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