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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: leaves · stem · game · lean · coach · branch · prune · pitcher

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. lean — thin
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. game — wild animals
  12. branch — a division
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. stem — to come from
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. lean — to bend
  18. prune — to trim
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. prune — to trim
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. leaves — of a tree

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