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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 116 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: fork · sharp · mark · net · branch · trunk · press · perch

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. mark — a grade
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. net — for catching
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. fork — in a road
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. press — a publisher
  13. perch — the fish
  14. net — in sport
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. sharp — clever
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. net — after costs
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. press — newspapers
  23. press — to push
  24. mark — a trace

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