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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: prune · fan · pitcher · object · rush · bank · court · branch

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. prune — to trim
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. object — a thing
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. object — an aim
  10. branch — a division
  11. object — to protest
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bank — for money
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bank — of a river
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. court — of a king
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. court — of law
  21. bank — for money
  22. rush — hurry
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. branch — of a bank

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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