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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 116 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 · net · wake · band · club · prune · key · cue

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. band — a music group
  5. club — a group
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. band — a ring
  10. prune — to trim
  11. net — in sport
  12. key — the most important part
  13. cue — a signal
  14. club — for golf
  15. branch — a division
  16. key — for a lock
  17. cue — for pool
  18. club — for dancing
  19. key — in music
  20. cue — a hint
  21. net — after costs
  22. prune — to trim
  23. net — for catching
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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