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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: branch · prune · nail · pit · bass · bank · net · pitcher

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  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. branch — of a tree
  2. branch — a division
  3. bass — low music
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. net — after costs
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — of a river
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. bank — for money
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bass — the fish
  15. net — in sport
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. net — for catching
  19. pit — a hole
  20. prune — to trim
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pit — in a race
  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