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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: branch · chest · pitcher · hide · vault · board · stock · trunk

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. branch — a division
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. chest — a box
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. chest — of your body
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. stock — goods
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. stock — shares
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. chest — of your body
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. board — a committee
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. board — to get on
  24. vault — a safe

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