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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 120 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: field · branch · tube · stock · rule · mine · pass · lean

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — thin
  6. mine — for digging
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. stock — goods
  12. tube — a container
  13. field — farmland
  14. pass — a permit
  15. stock — shares
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. tube — the underground
  18. rule — a law
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. rule — government
  23. field — for sport
  24. branch — a division

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