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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
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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: branch · mug · perch · chip · trunk · stock · bay · press

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — the fish
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. chip — for betting
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. press — a publisher
  11. mug — a cup
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. press — to push
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. mug — to rob
  16. stock — shares
  17. mug — a face
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. press — newspapers
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. branch — a division
  22. chip — to eat
  23. stock — goods
  24. chip — in a computer

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