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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: bass · calf · fork · fall · branch · firm · game · mine

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  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. bass — low music
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. firm — steady
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. mine — for digging
  10. fall — the season
  11. fall — to drop
  12. game — wild animals
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. bass — the fish
  18. game — a match
  19. branch — a division
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. firm — decided
  22. firm — a company
  23. fork — in a road
  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