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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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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: rest · prune · branch · pit · pound · rush · wound · foot

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. pound — a weight
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. foot — a measure
  5. rest — what's left
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. prune — to trim
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — hurry
  11. pit — a hole
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. pit — in a race
  14. rest — a break
  15. wound — an injury
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. wound — an injury
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. prune — to trim
  21. rest — what's left
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. branch — a division

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