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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rule — a law
  3. rush — hurry
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. rule — government
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. saw — the tool
  17. branch — a division
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. current — electric
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. saw — the tool
  23. current — of water
  24. current — happening now

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