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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: calf · degree · pitch · rash · band · branch · vault · capital

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. branch — a division
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. degree — temperature
  8. rash — a series
  9. pitch — completely
  10. band — a music group
  11. vault — a safe
  12. capital — money
  13. degree — from a university
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. degree — an amount
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. rash — hasty
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. band — a ring
  22. capital — a city
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. calf — a young animal

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