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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: key · patient · stock · roll · branch · mug · drill · rule

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. roll — a list
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. drill — army training
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. rule — government
  8. mug — a face
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. stock — shares
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. key — for a lock
  13. rule — a law
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. drill — the tool
  16. stock — goods
  17. mug — to rob
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. key — the most important part
  20. branch — a division
  21. mug — a cup
  22. key — in music
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. roll — a cake

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