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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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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. net — for catching
  3. branch — a division
  4. net — after costs
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. can — a tin
  7. court — for sport
  8. deal — to handle
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. can — to be able to
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. court — of law
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. net — in sport
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. can — a tin
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. court — of a king
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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