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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 120 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
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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: calf · branch · track · object · pitcher · mark · saw · sharp

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. object — to protest
  5. track — a path
  6. object — an aim
  7. mark — a grade
  8. branch — a division
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. track — to keep track
  14. track — a song
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. saw — the tool
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. sharp — clever
  21. object — a thing
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. mark — a trace

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