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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: scale · branch · trunk · rest · pop · bark · stand · court

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. bark — to shout
  3. court — of law
  4. court — of a king
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. pop — soda
  7. rest — a break
  8. stand — to bear
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. scale — in music
  15. scale — size or range
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. pop — to visit
  18. branch — a division
  19. rest — what's left
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. rest — what's left
  22. court — for sport
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. pop — music

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