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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: trunk · club · sharp · coach · branch · swing · bore · pitch

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. club — for dancing
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. sharp — clever
  7. pitch — completely
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. swing — music
  10. swing — to play on
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. swing — in golf
  18. branch — a division
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. club — for golf
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bore — to tire

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