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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: mouse · last · craft · coach · branch · racket · rule · roll

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. last — final
  3. roll — a cake
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. rule — a law
  6. roll — a list
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. craft — a skill
  9. last — finally
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. branch — a division
  14. craft — boats
  15. rule — government
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. racket — for tennis

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