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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
468
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 · racket · leaves · cue · sharp · branch · perch · present

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. present — there
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. branch — a division
  13. perch — the fish
  14. sharp — clever
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. present — the time now
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. cue — for pool
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. cue — a hint
  23. present — a gift
  24. cue — a signal

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