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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: branch · fine · current · prune · toast · wound · dip · date

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. wound — an injury
  3. fine — all right
  4. fine — high quality
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. toast — bread
  10. dip — to sink
  11. wound — an injury
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. current — happening now
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. date — the fruit
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. current — electric
  20. prune — to trim
  21. current — of water
  22. branch — a division
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — the fruit

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