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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 · suit · racket · branch · sharp · pop · toast · rule

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. suit — in cards
  3. suit — to fit
  4. pop — music
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. suit — clothes
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. rule — government
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. prune — to trim
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pop — soda
  14. branch — a division
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. pop — to visit
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. prune — to trim
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. rule — a law
  23. toast — bread
  24. sharp — clever

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