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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: stick · branch · board · calf · game · cabinet · perch · kid

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. board — a committee
  6. perch — the fish
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. kid — to tease
  10. board — to get on
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. branch — a division
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. kid — child
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. game — wild animals

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