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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: rule · nail · branch · fork · dip · net · shower · bass

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. net — after costs
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. dip — to sink
  6. shower — rain
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. net — in sport
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. branch — a division
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. rule — a law
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. bass — low music
  18. net — for catching
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. shower — to wash
  22. rule — government
  23. fork — in a road
  24. branch — of a tree

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