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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spring · fork · branch · object · rule · ball · pitch · mine

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. branch — a division
  3. spring — of water
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. mine — for digging
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. object — an aim
  10. pitch — completely
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. fork — in a road
  13. spring — a coil
  14. spring — the season
  15. ball — a dance
  16. object — a thing
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. ball — a great time
  19. rule — government
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. object — to protest

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