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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: branch · sharp · prune · nail · race · ruler · fine · pitcher

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. fine — high quality
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. sharp — clever
  5. prune — to trim
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. race — the arms race
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. race — a contest
  18. fine — all right
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. branch — a division
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. race — humankind

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