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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
468
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: craft · branch · pitcher · jam · press · spring · march · trunk

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. press — newspapers
  4. spring — the season
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. spring — a coil
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. branch — a division
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. march — music
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. craft — boats
  17. press — to push
  18. march — the month
  19. spring — of water
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. press — a publisher
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. march — the month
  24. craft — a skill

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