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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: stem · club · branch · rock · prune · perch · deal · game

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. game — a match
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. prune — to trim
  8. stem — to come from
  9. branch — a division
  10. prune — to trim
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. perch — the fish
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. game — wild animals
  17. deal — to handle
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. club — for golf
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. rock — a stone
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. club — for dancing
  24. rock — music

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