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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: squash · press · branch · rush · ruler · fork · craft · rule

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rule — government
  4. press — newspapers
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. craft — a skill
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. press — a publisher
  14. press — to push
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. squash — to crush
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. branch — a division
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. rule — a law
  21. rush — hurry
  22. craft — boats
  23. fork — in a road
  24. squash — the sport

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