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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. game — wild animals
  3. land — ground
  4. branch — a division
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. rule — government
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. rest — a break
  10. land — a country
  11. game — a match
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. land — to come down
  16. rule — a law
  17. rest — what's left
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. mug — a face
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mug — to rob
  23. rest — what's left
  24. mug — a cup

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