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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. rock — music
  5. content — happy
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. branch — a division
  8. bank — for money
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. key — in music
  11. bank — of a river
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. prune — to trim
  14. lean — thin
  15. prune — to trim
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. rock — a stone
  18. key — the most important part
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. content — the amount
  22. bank — for money
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. key — for a lock

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