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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: mate · toast · race · pop · prune · branch · craft · stick

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. mate — to breed
  3. pop — music
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. prune — to trim
  6. race — humankind
  7. pop — to visit
  8. branch — a division
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. race — a contest
  11. craft — boats
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. toast — bread
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. race — the arms race
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. mate — a partner
  21. pop — soda
  22. craft — a skill
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. mate — a friend

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