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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 120 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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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: land · branch · pound · board · trunk · mark · kick · bay

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. land — ground
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. mark — a trace
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. kick — in football
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. land — a country
  14. pound — a weight
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. branch — a division
  18. board — a committee
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. board — to get on
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. land — to come down

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