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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: bowl · chip · branch · trunk · coach · wax · leaves · pitch

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. branch — a division
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. chip — for betting
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. pitch — completely
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. wax — to grow
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. bowl — a football final

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