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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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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: deal · net · racket · swing · mine · branch · vault · rule

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. branch — a division
  6. swing — music
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. swing — in golf
  9. rule — a law
  10. deal — to handle
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. net — in sport
  19. net — after costs
  20. vault — a safe
  21. rule — government
  22. net — for catching
  23. mine — for digging
  24. deal — an agreement

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