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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.

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: nail · lie · branch · degree · pitcher · stand · rule · deal

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. rule — government
  7. deal — to handle
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. degree — temperature
  10. degree — from a university
  11. stand — to bear
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. degree — an amount
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. branch — a division
  23. rule — a law
  24. lie — to recline

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