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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: mine · pitch · branch · toast · march · rule · kid · current

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. mine — for digging
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. pitch — completely
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. march — the month
  9. current — electric
  10. march — the month
  11. rule — government
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. current — of water
  15. branch — a division
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. march — music
  18. toast — bread
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. current — happening now
  21. kid — child
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. rule — a law
  24. kid — to tease

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