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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: branch · perch · tube · toast · mate · mug · roll · rule

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. rule — government
  5. tube — a container
  6. mate — a partner
  7. perch — the fish
  8. mug — a face
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. mug — to rob
  13. roll — a list
  14. mug — a cup
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — a division
  17. tube — the underground
  18. roll — a cake
  19. toast — bread
  20. mate — a friend
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. rule — a law
  24. perch — for a bird

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