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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: rest · coach · trunk · ball · bark · branch · scale · pitch

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pitch — completely
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. branch — a division
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. ball — a great time
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. rest — a break
  21. scale — size or range
  22. bark — to shout
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. rest — what's left

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