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

Word bank: prune · pit · foot · bowl · branch · wake · firm · key

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. pit — a hole
  4. firm — decided
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. branch — a division
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. wake — a trail
  10. firm — a company
  11. firm — steady
  12. prune — to trim
  13. key — in music
  14. key — for a lock
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. pit — in a race
  18. foot — a measure
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. key — the most important part
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. foot — part of the body

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