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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.

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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: present · track · ball · stem · calf · bass · mark · branch

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. branch — a division
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. ball — a great time
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. mark — a trace
  9. track — a song
  10. mark — a grade
  11. bass — low music
  12. bass — the fish
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stem — to come from
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. track — a path
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. track — to keep track
  20. ball — a dance
  21. present — the time now
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. present — there

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