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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 116 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: stick · row · rock · branch · march · trunk · cap · club

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. branch — a division
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. row — a line
  7. club — for golf
  8. march — music
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. march — the month
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. march — the month
  13. row — to paddle
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cap — a hat
  16. rock — a stone
  17. club — a group
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. cap — of ice
  22. rock — music
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. trunk — of a car

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