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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 116 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: file · staff · rock · branch · stem · key · prune · field

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. file — a tool
  5. field — for sport
  6. field — a subject
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. file — a document
  9. field — farmland
  10. staff — employees
  11. rock — a stone
  12. file — a line of people
  13. key — for a lock
  14. prune — to trim
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. branch — a division
  17. prune — to trim
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. key — the most important part
  20. staff — employees
  21. key — in music
  22. rock — music
  23. staff — a stick
  24. stem — to come from

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