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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: court · branch · fine · tear · tube · calf · shower · track

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. tear — to rip
  3. tear — from crying
  4. shower — to wash
  5. tear — from crying
  6. track — to keep track
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. track — a path
  10. shower — rain
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. tube — the underground
  13. track — a song
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. tube — a container
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. court — of a king
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. fine — all right
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — a division
  23. court — for sport
  24. court — of law

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