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

Word bank: jam · land · band · craft · rule · suit · leaves · branch

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. suit — to fit
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. craft — a skill
  6. land — to come down
  7. suit — in cards
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. suit — clothes
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. rule — a law
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. band — a music group
  15. land — ground
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. craft — boats
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. branch — a division
  23. rule — government
  24. band — a ring

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