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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: trunk · calf · mate · chip · press · pitch · bear · branch

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. pitch — completely
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. mate — to breed
  5. press — to push
  6. branch — a division
  7. press — a publisher
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. chip — for betting
  12. mate — a friend
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. press — newspapers
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. chip — to eat

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