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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.

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: scale · ground · bore · mug · trunk · branch · coach · rash

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. scale — in music
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. scale — size or range
  6. mug — a face
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. mug — a cup
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. mug — to rob
  11. bore — to drill
  12. ground — the earth
  13. branch — a division
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. rash — a series
  21. ground — crushed
  22. bore — to tire
  23. rash — hasty
  24. trunk — of a tree

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