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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: branch · club · foot · patient · tube · stand · can · prune

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. foot — a measure
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. can — a tin
  7. branch — a division
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. club — for golf
  10. can — to be able to
  11. prune — to trim
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. can — a tin
  16. stand — to bear
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. prune — to trim
  20. club — for dancing
  21. club — a group
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. tube — the underground

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