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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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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: cabinet · straw · sharp · pop · rule · bowl · object · branch

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. pop — soda
  4. object — an aim
  5. object — to protest
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. rule — a law
  11. pop — to visit
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. object — a thing
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. branch — a division
  20. sharp — clever
  21. pop — music
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. rule — government

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