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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: ruler · net · deal · cue · date · row · land · branch

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. land — to come down
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. deal — to handle
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. row — a line
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. cue — for pool
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. branch — a division
  16. date — the fruit
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — after costs
  19. land — ground
  20. net — in sport
  21. row — to paddle
  22. cue — a signal
  23. land — a country
  24. cue — a hint

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