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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: ruler · rule · wake · charge · nail · branch · pitcher · degree

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. charge — in control
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. charge — electricity
  6. rule — government
  7. degree — an amount
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. degree — from a university
  10. wake — a trail
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. branch — a division
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. degree — temperature
  16. charge — a price
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. rule — a law
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. pitcher — a jug

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