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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. bank — for money
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. net — after costs
  5. rule — a law
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. field — farmland
  8. branch — a division
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chip — to eat
  11. bank — of a river
  12. net — for catching
  13. field — a subject
  14. cap — a lid
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. field — for sport
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. net — in sport
  21. cap — of ice
  22. rule — government
  23. bank — for money
  24. cap — a hat

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