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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: net · wake · craft · degree · suit · branch · bore · prune

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. craft — a skill
  3. net — after costs
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. suit — clothes
  6. prune — to trim
  7. degree — from a university
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. branch — a division
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. degree — an amount
  15. wake — a trail
  16. suit — in cards
  17. net — in sport
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. net — for catching
  20. bore — to tire
  21. craft — boats
  22. bore — to drill
  23. suit — to fit
  24. degree — temperature

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