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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: bowl · cue · file · branch · calf · land · fine · club

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. land — a country
  4. club — a group
  5. fine — all right
  6. branch — a division
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. club — for dancing
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. file — a line of people
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. land — to come down
  15. cue — a hint
  16. file — a tool
  17. cue — for pool
  18. land — ground
  19. club — for golf
  20. fine — high quality
  21. cue — a signal
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. file — a document

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