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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. firm — a company
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. firm — decided
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. band — a music group
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. rule — government
  9. branch — a division
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. band — a ring
  13. pop — soda
  14. pop — to visit
  15. scale — size or range
  16. scale — in music
  17. bat — the animal
  18. rule — a law
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. firm — steady
  24. pop — music

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