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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: last · nail · prune · stock · branch · bulb · present · cap

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. prune — to trim
  3. stock — shares
  4. stock — goods
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. present — the time now
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. cap — of ice
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. cap — a lid
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bulb — for light
  15. last — final
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. cap — a hat
  18. bulb — for light
  19. branch — a division
  20. last — to go on
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. last — finally
  23. prune — to trim
  24. present — a gift

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