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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: branch · rock · degree · club · rule · mark · march · pass

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. rock — a stone
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. branch — a division
  6. club — a group
  7. rule — a law
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. march — music
  10. rock — music
  11. degree — an amount
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. mark — a grade
  15. degree — from a university
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. march — the month
  18. rule — government
  19. mark — a trace
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. club — for golf
  22. club — for dancing
  23. march — the month
  24. degree — temperature

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