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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 · scale · cabinet · rock · date · branch · ground · row

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. branch — a division
  3. row — a line
  4. date — the fruit
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. ground — crushed
  7. ground — the earth
  8. row — to paddle
  9. rock — music
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. scale — in music
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. scale — size or range
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. rule — a law
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. rock — a stone
  23. ground — a position
  24. rule — government

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