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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: pit · cabinet · dip · branch · saw · court · rock · trunk

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. court — of a king
  9. court — of law
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. saw — the tool
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. dip — to sink
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. branch — a division
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rock — music
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. pit — in a race
  23. court — for sport
  24. pit — a hole

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