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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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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: track · net · lash · ruler · prune · current · branch · pop

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. track — a song
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. pop — soda
  8. pop — to visit
  9. net — after costs
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. current — happening now
  12. prune — to trim
  13. pop — music
  14. current — electric
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. net — for catching
  17. current — of water
  18. branch — a division
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. prune — to trim
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. net — in sport
  24. track — to keep track

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