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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: field · rule · branch · content · stand · key · cabinet · date

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. date — the fruit
  5. key — in music
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — a division
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. stand — to bear
  11. rule — government
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. field — for sport
  14. content — happy
  15. field — a subject
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. field — farmland
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. key — for a lock
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. rule — a law
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. key — the most important part

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