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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bear · prune · date · branch · current · arm · swing · chair

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. prune — to trim
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bear — the animal
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. current — electric
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. current — of water
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. swing — in golf
  13. bear — the animal
  14. swing — to play on
  15. swing — music
  16. prune — to trim
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. current — happening now
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. chair — a leader
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. date — the fruit

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