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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 116 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 · branch · current · bass · track · game · can · dip

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  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. game — wild animals
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — low music
  5. dip — to sink
  6. track — a song
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. track — a path
  9. branch — a division
  10. current — of water
  11. current — happening now
  12. can — to be able to
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. can — a tin
  15. current — electric
  16. track — to keep track
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. game — a match
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. can — a tin
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. prune — to trim
  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