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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bass · pit · firm · date · rule · rock · branch · cabinet

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. firm — decided
  5. pit — a hole
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. rule — government
  10. pit — in a race
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — music
  13. bass — low music
  14. date — the fruit
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. branch — a division
  19. firm — steady
  20. firm — a company
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. bass — the fish

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