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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: branch · pitch · trunk · board · firm · wake · staff · hand

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. hand — in cards
  3. firm — decided
  4. firm — steady
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. board — a committee
  8. staff — employees
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. staff — a stick
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. staff — employees
  15. firm — a company
  16. hand — help
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. branch — a division
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. wake — a trail

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