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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 120 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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. bulb — for light
  5. capital — a city
  6. rule — government
  7. branch — a division
  8. rock — music
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. stand — to bear
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. rock — a stone
  20. cold — not warm
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. cold — an illness
  23. capital — money
  24. pound — a weight

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