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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: ball · degree · lash · present · stem · branch · prune · pop

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. stem — to come from
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. present — the time now
  9. degree — from a university
  10. branch — a division
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. present — there
  13. pop — soda
  14. degree — temperature
  15. pop — to visit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. degree — an amount
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. present — a gift
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pop — music
  24. ball — a dance

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