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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: rush · track · bass · branch · can · rule · charge · rash

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. can — a tin
  4. rule — a law
  5. rush — hurry
  6. track — a path
  7. charge — in control
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. can — to be able to
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. track — a song
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. bass — the fish
  14. charge — electricity
  15. rule — government
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. can — a tin
  18. branch — a division
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. track — to keep track
  22. charge — a price
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rash — a series

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