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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 120 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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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: kid · rule · rock · stem · branch · trunk · racket · land

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rule — government
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. rule — a law
  8. stem — to come from
  9. land — to come down
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. branch — a division
  12. kid — to tease
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. land — ground
  15. rock — music
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. kid — child
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. branch — of a bank

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