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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: prune · craft · band · branch · can · safe · game · mate

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. mate — a friend
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. craft — boats
  5. branch — a division
  6. craft — a skill
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. band — a music group
  9. game — a match
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. mate — to breed
  12. prune — to trim
  13. can — to be able to
  14. game — wild animals
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. mate — a partner
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. can — a tin
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. can — a tin
  22. prune — to trim
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. branch — of a bank

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