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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: hand · branch · perch · rule · kick · staff · net · board

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. kick — in football
  3. rule — government
  4. staff — employees
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. rule — a law
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. net — in sport
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. board — to get on
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. board — a committee
  18. net — after costs
  19. branch — a division
  20. staff — a stick
  21. net — for catching
  22. staff — employees
  23. perch — the fish
  24. hand — help

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