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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · temple · root · branch · coach · jam · file · ball

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. root — of a plant
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. file — a tool
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. prune — to trim
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. root — the cause
  13. ball — a great time
  14. prune — to trim
  15. file — a line of people
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. root — of a word
  18. file — a document
  19. branch — a division
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. jam — a tight spot

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