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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: scale · leaves · branch · prune · band · present · suit · game

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. present — there
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. game — a match
  6. present — the time now
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. scale — in music
  12. band — a music group
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. suit — to fit
  15. band — a ring
  16. present — a gift
  17. suit — in cards
  18. scale — size or range
  19. prune — to trim
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. branch — a division
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. suit — clothes
  24. prune — to trim

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