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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: craft · rest · branch · trunk · pound · saw · deal · pitcher

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. rest — a break
  3. craft — boats
  4. craft — a skill
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. pound — a weight
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. branch — a division
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. deal — to handle
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. rest — what's left
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. rest — what's left
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. pitcher — a jug

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