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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: dip · patient · net · prune · safe · branch · ground · track

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. net — after costs
  3. ground — crushed
  4. prune — to trim
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. ground — the earth
  8. net — in sport
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. track — a path
  11. track — to keep track
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. dip — to sink
  14. prune — to trim
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. branch — a division
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. track — a song
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. ground — a position
  24. dip — a sauce

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