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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: pitcher · trunk · press · hand · sharp · chair · coach · bank

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. bank — for money
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. press — to push
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bank — for money
  11. hand — help
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. press — a publisher
  16. sharp — clever
  17. bank — of a river
  18. press — newspapers
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. hand — in cards
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. chair — a leader

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