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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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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: perch · branch · bank · rest · cap · pitch · trunk · toast

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. branch — a division
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. cap — a lid
  6. cap — of ice
  7. perch — the fish
  8. rest — a break
  9. toast — bread
  10. rest — what's left
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. pitch — completely
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. rest — what's left
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. bank — for money
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. cap — a hat
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bank — for money

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