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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: present · rule · spell · march · branch · pound

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. present — there
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. march — the month
  6. pound — a weight
  7. spell — letters
  8. present — the time now
  9. rule — a law
  10. spell — a short time
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. march — music
  13. march — the month
  14. spell — magic
  15. rule — government
  16. present — a gift
  17. branch — a division
  18. rule — to rule out

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