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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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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: trunk · key · branch · pop · cap · drill · swing · coach

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. 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. key — in music
  2. cap — a lid
  3. pop — music
  4. swing — to play on
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. drill — the tool
  9. cap — a hat
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pop — soda
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. key — the most important part
  14. drill — a practice
  15. cap — of ice
  16. branch — a division
  17. pop — to visit
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. key — for a lock
  22. swing — in golf
  23. swing — music
  24. 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