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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: firm · bowl · branch · mine · wound · kid · fine · rule

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. firm — a company
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. mine — for digging
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. wound — an injury
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. firm — steady
  15. rule — a law
  16. rule — government
  17. firm — decided
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. kid — to tease
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fine — high quality
  22. branch — a division
  23. kid — child
  24. wound — an injury

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