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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 · branch · lash · bound · rule · field · cap · ball

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. bound — certain
  3. cap — a hat
  4. branch — a division
  5. rule — a law
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. ball — a dance
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. field — farmland
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. field — for sport
  16. bound — obliged
  17. ball — a great time
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. field — a subject
  20. cap — a lid
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. rule — government
  23. bound — tied together
  24. jam — a tight spot

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