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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 · toast · branch · chest · drill · ground · stand · mug

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. chest — a box
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. pit — a hole
  5. chest — of your body
  6. mug — a cup
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. drill — the tool
  9. drill — army training
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. stand — to bear
  12. ground — the earth
  13. mug — a face
  14. branch — a division
  15. ground — crushed
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. mug — to rob
  18. drill — a practice
  19. ground — a position
  20. chest — of your body
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. pit — in a race
  24. toast — bread

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