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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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. branch — of a tree
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. stem — to come from
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bass — low music
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. sharp — clever
  14. mate — a friend
  15. bass — the fish
  16. fork — in a road
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mate — a partner
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. pitcher — a jug

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