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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 · tube · rock · bass · branch · scale · club · board

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. tube — a container
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. club — for dancing
  5. club — a group
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. club — for golf
  10. prune — to trim
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. branch — a division
  13. bass — low music
  14. bass — the fish
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. board — to get on
  17. prune — to trim
  18. scale — in music
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. rock — music
  21. board — a committee
  22. tube — the underground
  23. scale — size or range
  24. rock — a stone

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