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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. bass — the fish
  6. pitch — completely
  7. vault — a safe
  8. court — of law
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. band — a music group
  11. root — the cause
  12. root — of a plant
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. root — of a word
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. court — of a king
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. court — for sport
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. band — a ring
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. bass — low music
  24. branch — a division

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