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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: calf · rule · key · date · field · branch · tube · lean

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. key — in music
  3. lean — thin
  4. key — the most important part
  5. field — a subject
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. rule — government
  10. tube — a container
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. field — for sport
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. branch — a division
  18. date — the fruit
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. key — for a lock
  22. lean — to bend
  23. field — farmland
  24. tube — the underground

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