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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: calf · game · scale · craft · band · rock · branch · season

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. season — of the year
  4. craft — a skill
  5. season — in sport
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. rock — a stone
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. branch — a division
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. band — a music group
  15. scale — in music
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. rock — music
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. game — wild animals
  20. craft — boats
  21. scale — size or range
  22. band — a ring
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. branch — of a bank

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