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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: fine · prune · vault · can · coach · branch · present · march

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. can — to be able to
  4. march — music
  5. present — a gift
  6. prune — to trim
  7. can — a tin
  8. present — there
  9. vault — a safe
  10. prune — to trim
  11. fine — all right
  12. present — the time now
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. can — a tin
  16. fine — high quality
  17. branch — a division
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. march — the month

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