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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 120 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: scale · temple · prune · mark · branch · pop · stock · fall

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. stock — shares
  4. fall — to drop
  5. pop — to visit
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. pop — soda
  8. mark — a trace
  9. stock — goods
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. branch — a division
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. pop — music
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. mark — a grade
  19. scale — size or range
  20. prune — to trim
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. scale — in music
  23. fall — the season
  24. prune — to trim

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