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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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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: net · row · trunk · branch · present · drill

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. present — the time now
  3. row — to paddle
  4. net — after costs
  5. branch — a division
  6. present — there
  7. present — a gift
  8. drill — a practice
  9. net — for catching
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. drill — the tool
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. row — a line
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. drill — army training

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