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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 116 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: root · march · branch · net · swing · rule · bound · bore

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. rule — government
  3. root — of a word
  4. net — for catching
  5. march — the month
  6. swing — music
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. root — of a plant
  10. net — in sport
  11. rule — a law
  12. net — after costs
  13. bore — to tire
  14. swing — in golf
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bound — tied together
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. root — the cause
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. bore — to drill
  21. swing — to play on
  22. march — the month
  23. bound — certain
  24. branch — a division

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