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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 120 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: prune · branch · current · staff · net · dip · ball · kid

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. prune — to trim
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. prune — to trim
  7. branch — a division
  8. staff — employees
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. net — in sport
  11. ball — a great time
  12. staff — a stick
  13. current — of water
  14. kid — to tease
  15. net — for catching
  16. staff — employees
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. current — electric
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. current — happening now
  21. net — after costs
  22. kid — child
  23. dip — to sink
  24. ball — a dance

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