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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mate · march · pit · trunk · present · field · branch · nail

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. mate — to breed
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. present — a gift
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. branch — a division
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. march — the month
  9. field — farmland
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. pit — in a race
  12. present — the time now
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. field — a subject
  17. march — music
  18. mate — a partner
  19. march — the month
  20. present — there
  21. pit — a hole
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. field — for sport
  24. mate — a friend

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