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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.

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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: branch · prune · field · hand · firm · key · racket · bank

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. firm — a company
  3. bank — of a river
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. hand — help
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. prune — to trim
  8. hand — in cards
  9. branch — a division
  10. key — for a lock
  11. prune — to trim
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. field — farmland
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. key — the most important part
  16. field — for sport
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. key — in music
  20. firm — decided
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. bank — for money
  23. firm — steady
  24. field — a subject

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