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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: spring · club · prune · key · suit · branch · roll · board

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. key — in music
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — a coil
  5. spring — the season
  6. board — a committee
  7. branch — a division
  8. suit — clothes
  9. key — the most important part
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. prune — to trim
  12. roll — a cake
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. roll — a list
  17. board — to get on
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. suit — to fit
  20. suit — in cards
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. club — a group
  23. club — for golf
  24. club — for dancing

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