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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: ground · swing · fork · pass · lean · trunk · branch · content

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. swing — music
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. pass — a permit
  8. lean — to bend
  9. ground — a position
  10. ground — the earth
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. ground — crushed
  13. content — happy
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. branch — a division
  16. content — the amount
  17. swing — in golf
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. swing — to play on
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. lean — thin
  23. fork — in a road
  24. trunk — of a car

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