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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: coach · prune · firm · rush · racket · nail · branch · rest

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. firm — steady
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. firm — a company
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. prune — to trim
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. rest — what's left
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. prune — to trim
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. firm — decided
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. branch — a division
  22. rest — a break
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rest — what's left

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