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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: bark · pop · trunk · branch · craft · march · press · board

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. board — a committee
  7. march — music
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. craft — boats
  10. press — a publisher
  11. march — the month
  12. pop — to visit
  13. branch — a division
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. press — newspapers
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. board — to get on
  19. march — the month
  20. craft — a skill
  21. pop — music
  22. press — to push
  23. bark — to shout
  24. trunk — of a tree

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