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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. race — humankind
  3. race — the arms race
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. mug — to rob
  6. race — a contest
  7. mug — a face
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. branch — a division
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. stem — to come from
  12. prune — to trim
  13. foot — a measure
  14. roll — a list
  15. bark — to shout
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. mug — a cup
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. roll — a cake
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. prune — to trim
  24. stem — a stem cell

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