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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ball · rule · deal · cap · branch · rush · swing · straw

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. cap — of ice
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. swing — music
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. branch — a division
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. cap — a hat
  10. rush — hurry
  11. swing — in golf
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. deal — to handle
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. cap — a lid
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. rule — government
  21. swing — to play on
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. rule — a law
  24. ball — a dance

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