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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: net · trunk · branch · pound · last · rock · foot · pitch

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. net — for catching
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. branch — a division
  5. rock — a stone
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. last — to go on
  8. pitch — completely
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. pound — a weight
  11. net — in sport
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. last — finally
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. rock — music
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. net — after costs
  24. foot — a measure

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