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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: pit · branch · stem · trunk · perch · calf · cabinet · date

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. perch — the fish
  6. branch — a division
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pit — in a race
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. stem — to come from
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. date — the fruit
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. calf — of the leg

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