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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: coach · branch · bank · scale · rule · spring · fine · vault

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. spring — of water
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. scale — size or range
  6. spring — a coil
  7. fine — high quality
  8. rule — a law
  9. branch — a division
  10. spring — the season
  11. bank — for money
  12. vault — a safe
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. bank — of a river
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rule — government
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. fine — all right
  23. scale — in music
  24. bank — for money

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