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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 120 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: racket · net · cue · pound · spring · branch · bay · prune

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. cue — for pool
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. pound — a weight
  8. net — in sport
  9. prune — to trim
  10. branch — a division
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. net — for catching
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. spring — the season
  15. cue — a signal
  16. spring — of water
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. net — after costs
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. cue — a hint
  24. branch — of a bank

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