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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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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: rush · swing · rule · bound · squash · branch · racket · drill

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. drill — a practice
  3. bound — certain
  4. swing — to play on
  5. squash — to crush
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. swing — in golf
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. bound — tied together
  10. branch — a division
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. rule — a law
  13. bound — obliged
  14. drill — army training
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. swing — music
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. squash — the sport
  21. rush — hurry
  22. drill — the tool
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rule — government

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