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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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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 · ball · clip · jam · branch · current · toast · club

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. club — a group
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. clip — a video
  7. current — of water
  8. clip — to cut
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. ball — a dance
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. toast — bread
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. current — happening now
  16. prune — to trim
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. ball — a great time
  19. current — electric
  20. club — for dancing
  21. club — for golf
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. clip — for paper
  24. branch — a division

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