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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. board — to get on
  3. prune — to trim
  4. cue — for pool
  5. drill — the tool
  6. cue — a hint
  7. prune — to trim
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. drill — army training
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. bank — for money
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. board — a committee
  16. branch — a division
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bank — for money
  19. plane — a tool
  20. cue — a signal
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. rule — a law
  24. drill — a practice

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