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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: prune · calf · rock · deal · branch · race · board · date

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. race — humankind
  3. prune — to trim
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. deal — to handle
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. board — to get on
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. rock — music
  11. rock — a stone
  12. date — the fruit
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. prune — to trim
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. branch — a division
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. race — the arms race
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. prune — 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