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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: land · racket · bank · dip · rush · branch · leaves · rule

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. rule — a law
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. dip — to sink
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. land — to come down
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. branch — a division
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. land — a country
  18. bank — for money
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rule — government
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. land — ground
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — of a river

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