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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
468
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: rule · nail · key · degree · club · branch · face · roll

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. club — for golf
  3. rule — government
  4. key — in music
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. face — to confront
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. roll — a list
  10. branch — a division
  11. key — the most important part
  12. rule — a law
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. club — a group
  15. degree — temperature
  16. degree — an amount
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. roll — a cake
  19. face — to point toward
  20. club — for dancing
  21. key — for a lock
  22. face — part of the head
  23. degree — from a university
  24. nail — for a hammer

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