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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: bowl · kick · march · branch · ruler · mark · cabinet · rash

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. branch — a division
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. rash — hasty
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. march — music
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. march — the month
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. march — the month
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. rash — a series
  23. kick — in football
  24. rash — on the skin

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