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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: press · branch · rush · coach · jam · pop · stem · prune

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — to trim
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. press — a publisher
  11. stem — to come from
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. branch — a division
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. pop — music
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. pop — soda
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. press — to push
  22. pop — to visit
  23. press — newspapers
  24. rush — hurry

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