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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 116 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: pit · last · prune · face · branch · degree · craft · club

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. branch — a division
  3. degree — temperature
  4. club — a group
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. degree — an amount
  7. face — part of the head
  8. prune — to trim
  9. last — final
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. club — for dancing
  12. craft — boats
  13. craft — a skill
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. face — to point toward
  16. pit — a hole
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. degree — from a university
  20. face — to confront
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. prune — to trim
  23. club — for golf
  24. last — to go on

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