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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: rule · toast · branch · march · drill · present · ball · sharp

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. march — music
  3. drill — a practice
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. rule — a law
  6. ball — a great time
  7. toast — bread
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. drill — the tool
  10. drill — army training
  11. branch — a division
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. present — there
  14. rule — government
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. present — the time now
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. ball — a dance
  20. present — a gift
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. sharp — clever
  23. march — the month
  24. march — the month

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