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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. branch — a division
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. prune — to trim
  8. track — a song
  9. net — after costs
  10. rest — what's left
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. track — a path
  13. rest — what's left
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. net — for catching
  18. chip — for betting
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. stem — to come from
  21. net — in sport
  22. chip — to eat
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. rest — a break

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