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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: coach · pit · mate · board · prune · branch · arm · chest

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. chest — of your body
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. pit — in a race
  5. prune — to trim
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mate — a friend
  8. branch — a division
  9. mate — a partner
  10. prune — to trim
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. chest — a box
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. chest — of your body
  21. pit — a hole
  22. board — a committee
  23. board — to get on
  24. arm — a part of something

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