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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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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: dip · can · roll · chest · branch · game · calf · club

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. roll — a cake
  7. chest — a box
  8. club — for dancing
  9. roll — a list
  10. branch — a division
  11. club — a group
  12. chest — of your body
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. game — wild animals
  15. game — a match
  16. chest — of your body
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. can — to be able to
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. club — for golf
  24. dip — to sink

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