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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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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 · branch · rule · racket · cell · bear · tear · stand

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. bear — the animal
  4. rule — a law
  5. stand — to bear
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. branch — a division
  8. bear — the animal
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. cell — in biology
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. rule — government
  15. cell — a phone
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. tear — from crying
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. tear — to rip
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. tear — from crying

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