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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: mug · game · spring · rule · branch · rock · safe · net

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mug — to rob
  3. spring — the season
  4. mug — a cup
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. net — for catching
  7. game — a match
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. rock — music
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. net — after costs
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. spring — of water
  14. game — wild animals
  15. rule — government
  16. rock — a stone
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. net — in sport
  21. spring — a coil
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. branch — a division
  24. rule — a law

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