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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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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: leaves · club · firm · row · trunk · cell · game · branch

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. game — a match
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. cell — in biology
  8. club — a group
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. firm — decided
  11. game — wild animals
  12. branch — a division
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. row — a line
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. cell — a phone
  17. firm — a company
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. firm — steady
  21. club — for golf
  22. row — to paddle
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. club — for dancing

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