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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 116 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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. fine — high quality
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. fine — all right
  6. capital — a city
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. saw — the tool
  9. capital — money
  10. rule — government
  11. mark — a trace
  12. prune — to trim
  13. mark — a grade
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. prune — to trim
  18. spring — a coil
  19. rule — a law
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. spring — of water
  23. spring — the season
  24. saw — the tool

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