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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: pop · dip · band · branch · wave · prune · pit · sharp

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. band — a music group
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. band — a ring
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. dip — to sink
  8. branch — a division
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pop — music
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. pop — soda
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. pop — to visit
  19. sharp — clever
  20. pit — in a race
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — the fruit

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