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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: spring · stock · suit · mug · leaves · prune · bass · branch

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. spring — the season
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. suit — clothes
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mug — to rob
  9. suit — in cards
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. bass — low music
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. branch — a division
  17. bass — the fish
  18. spring — of water
  19. stock — shares
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. prune — to trim
  22. stock — goods
  23. suit — to fit
  24. mug — a face

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