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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 · mug · pound · coach · season · land · prune · mine

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. prune — to trim
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. land — to come down
  7. branch — a division
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. mine — for digging
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. mug — a cup
  15. land — ground
  16. season — of the year
  17. mug — a face
  18. land — a country
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. prune — to trim
  21. mug — to rob
  22. pound — a weight
  23. season — in sport
  24. pound — to hit hard

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