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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: branch · scale · jam · cell · trunk · date · drill · bore

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. date — the fruit
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. drill — a practice
  6. scale — size or range
  7. drill — army training
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. drill — the tool
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. cell — a phone
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bore — to tire
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. branch — a division
  22. scale — in music
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. cell — in biology

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