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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: toast · trunk · branch · key · calf · board · ground · net

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. key — the most important part
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. board — a committee
  9. net — in sport
  10. ground — crushed
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. net — after costs
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. board — to get on
  16. toast — bread
  17. key — in music
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. key — for a lock
  21. net — for catching
  22. branch — a division
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. ground — a position

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