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

Word bank: chair · rest · pop · branch · bear · stick · coach · pit

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. branch — a division
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. pit — a hole
  5. bear — the animal
  6. chair — a leader
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. pop — soda
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. pop — music
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. rest — a break
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. pop — to visit
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. pit — in a race

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