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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: fan · lie · pitcher · bass · rule · fork · branch · staff

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. lie — to recline
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. rule — government
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. staff — a stick
  8. bass — low music
  9. branch — a division
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. staff — employees
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. bass — the fish
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. rule — a law
  19. staff — employees
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. fork — in a road
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. branch — of a tree

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