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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: key · pitcher · content · vault · branch · wake · spell · prune

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. content — happy
  5. content — the amount
  6. key — for a lock
  7. wake — a trail
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. spell — letters
  14. prune — to trim
  15. key — in music
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. vault — a safe
  20. spell — magic
  21. key — the most important part
  22. prune — to trim
  23. spell — a short time
  24. branch — a division

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