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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.

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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: track · squash · wax · fine · court · nail · prune · branch

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. track — to keep track
  3. fine — all right
  4. squash — to crush
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. track — a song
  8. track — a path
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. fine — high quality
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — to trim
  13. squash — the sport
  14. court — for sport
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. branch — a division
  18. court — of a king
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. court — of law
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. wax — to grow
  24. nail — on a finger

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