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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: hand · bowl · firm · prune · bulb · root · branch · sharp

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. hand — in cards
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. prune — to trim
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. root — the cause
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. hand — help
  11. prune — to trim
  12. firm — steady
  13. firm — decided
  14. sharp — clever
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. root — of a plant
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. branch — a division
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. firm — a company
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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