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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: mouse · branch · net · rule · swing · cabinet · cap · spell

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. net — for catching
  3. rule — a law
  4. spell — a short time
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. branch — a division
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. swing — music
  10. cap — a hat
  11. spell — magic
  12. net — after costs
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. net — in sport
  15. swing — in golf
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cap — of ice
  18. spell — letters
  19. cap — a lid
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. rule — government
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. swing — to play on

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