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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: rock · branch · kid · foot · cell · net · ball · rule

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. rock — a stone
  3. net — after costs
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rock — music
  7. ball — a great time
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. kid — child
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. net — in sport
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. kid — to tease
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. rule — government
  17. net — for catching
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. ball — a dance
  21. branch — a division
  22. rule — a law
  23. foot — a measure
  24. cell — a phone

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