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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: squash · court · ruler · branch · track · fine · trunk · bulb

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. track — to keep track
  3. branch — a division
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. court — for sport
  6. court — of law
  7. bulb — for light
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fine — all right
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bulb — for light
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. track — a path
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. fine — high quality
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. track — a song
  22. squash — the sport
  23. court — of a king
  24. squash — to crush

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