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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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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 · stand · staff · pound · chair · fan · root · branch

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. staff — employees
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. root — the cause
  9. pound — a weight
  10. staff — employees
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. staff — a stick
  14. chair — a leader
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — to trim
  18. root — of a plant
  19. stand — to bear
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. branch — a division
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. root — of a word
  24. fan — a supporter

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