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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: branch · calf · race · band · bowl · shower · bass · object

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  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 — the instrument
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bass — the fish
  4. branch — a division
  5. bass — low music
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. shower — rain
  9. shower — to wash
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. race — the arms race
  12. object — a thing
  13. object — an aim
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. band — a ring
  16. race — a contest
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. race — humankind
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. object — to protest
  21. band — a music group
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. band — a rubber band
  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