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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.

Make a worksheet

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: cue · branch · net · prune · hide · pop

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. pop — soda
  5. pop — music
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. branch — a division
  8. net — in sport
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cue — a hint
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. pop — to visit
  15. net — for catching
  16. net — after costs
  17. prune — to trim
  18. cue — a signal

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