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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: prune · key · branch · wave · track · kid · scale · object

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. key — the most important part
  3. kid — child
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. scale — size or range
  6. object — a thing
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. track — a song
  9. object — an aim
  10. prune — to trim
  11. key — for a lock
  12. scale — in music
  13. object — to protest
  14. key — in music
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. track — to keep track
  17. prune — to trim
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. kid — to tease
  24. track — a path

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