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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: rule · can · prune · row · branch · root · stock · fan

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. root — of a word
  5. can — a tin
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. rule — government
  8. root — of a plant
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. can — to be able to
  12. stock — shares
  13. can — a tin
  14. prune — to trim
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. prune — to trim
  18. rule — a law
  19. root — the cause
  20. stock — goods
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — a division
  23. row — to paddle
  24. row — a line

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