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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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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: plane · rule · cell · branch · pitch · stick · suit · degree

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. suit — clothes
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. rule — government
  6. cell — in biology
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. suit — in cards
  9. cell — a phone
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. plane — a tool
  13. branch — a division
  14. degree — an amount
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. suit — to fit
  20. degree — from a university
  21. degree — temperature
  22. pitch — completely
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. pitch — a sports field

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