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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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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: stock · branch · sharp · content · cue · hand · mark · prune

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. prune — to trim
  3. cue — a signal
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. content — the amount
  8. mark — a trace
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. stock — goods
  12. prune — to trim
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. content — happy
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a grade
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. branch — a division
  19. stock — shares
  20. hand — help
  21. cue — for pool
  22. hand — in cards
  23. sharp — clever
  24. cue — a hint

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