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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 120 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: bay · branch · pitcher · cue · vault · row · trunk · rock

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. cue — for pool
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. cue — a signal
  14. rock — a stone
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. rock — music
  19. row — a line
  20. branch — a division
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. vault — a safe
  24. row — to paddle

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