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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: trunk · rash · cue · ground · pound · coach · foot · branch

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. ground — crushed
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. cue — for pool
  12. branch — a division
  13. pound — a weight
  14. cue — a signal
  15. rash — a series
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. ground — the earth
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. rash — hasty
  22. foot — a measure
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. ground — a position

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