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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: nail · content · board · trunk · drill · roll · branch · stand

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. branch — a division
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. content — happy
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. stand — to bear
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. drill — a practice
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. board — to get on
  17. roll — a list
  18. content — the amount
  19. board — a committee
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. drill — army training
  22. roll — a cake
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. drill — the tool

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