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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: safe · date · mate · pit · race · track · branch · prune

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. pit — a hole
  3. track — a song
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — the fruit
  8. track — a path
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. race — a contest
  11. pit — in a race
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. mate — a friend
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. prune — to trim
  17. track — to keep track
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. mate — to breed
  20. race — the arms race
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. mate — a partner
  23. branch — a division
  24. race — humankind

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