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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: safe · prune · stand · stem · content · branch · jam · fork

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. prune — to trim
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. branch — a division
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. prune — to trim
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. fork — in a road
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. content — happy
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. content — the amount
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stand — to bear
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. branch — of a bank

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