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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: dip · land · calf · chair · branch · jam · rush · ball

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. ball — a great time
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. rush — hurry
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. land — to come down
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. chair — a leader
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. ball — a dance
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. dip — to sink
  22. land — ground
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. branch — a division

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