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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: hand · rest · rule · branch · game · chip · rock · ruler

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. hand — help
  5. chip — for betting
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rest — what's left
  11. game — a match
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. hand — in cards
  16. rule — government
  17. rule — a law
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. rest — a break
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. branch — a division
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. chip — to eat

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