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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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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 · pound · root · row · firm · date · prune · lean

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. branch — a division
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. pound — a weight
  7. firm — a company
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. row — a line
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lean — thin
  12. lean — to bend
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. firm — decided
  16. firm — steady
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. root — of a plant
  19. prune — to trim
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. root — of a word
  22. root — the cause
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. row — to paddle

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