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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: prune · degree · rock · key · racket · land · branch · sharp

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. land — a country
  5. key — the most important part
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. key — in music
  9. branch — a division
  10. land — ground
  11. sharp — clever
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — to trim
  14. rock — a stone
  15. degree — temperature
  16. key — for a lock
  17. degree — an amount
  18. degree — from a university
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. land — to come down
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. rock — music

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