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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: ground · court · safe · prune · row · season · branch · cabinet

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. branch — a division
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. court — of a king
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. court — of law
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. ground — crushed
  11. court — for sport
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. ground — the earth
  15. prune — to trim
  16. ground — a position
  17. season — in sport
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. row — to paddle
  21. row — a line
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. prune — to trim
  24. season — of the year

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