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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: prune · sharp · branch · pound · racket · cap · tube · trunk

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. branch — a division
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. tube — the underground
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. cap — a hat
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. tube — a container
  10. prune — to trim
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. cap — of ice
  14. cap — a lid
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. prune — to trim
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. sharp — clever
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. pound — a weight
  24. racket — for tennis

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