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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 120 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
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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: content · prune · tube · branch · kid · suit · squash · cabinet

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. suit — in cards
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. squash — to crush
  10. prune — to trim
  11. content — happy
  12. tube — the underground
  13. content — the amount
  14. kid — to tease
  15. prune — to trim
  16. branch — a division
  17. kid — child
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. suit — to fit
  20. suit — clothes
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. tube — a container

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