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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: key · race · chip · prune · bound · branch · tube · firm

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. race — a contest
  5. key — for a lock
  6. firm — decided
  7. firm — steady
  8. bound — obliged
  9. prune — to trim
  10. tube — a container
  11. chip — to eat
  12. chip — for betting
  13. tube — the underground
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. firm — a company
  16. key — the most important part
  17. branch — a division
  18. bound — tied together
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. race — humankind
  22. key — in music
  23. race — the arms race
  24. bound — certain

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