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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 116 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: file · cap · object · ruler · chair · mine · branch · pop

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. file — a tool
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. pop — to visit
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. file — a line of people
  7. branch — a division
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. object — to protest
  10. object — a thing
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mine — for digging
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. pop — music
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. chair — a leader
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cap — a hat
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. object — an aim
  21. pop — soda
  22. cap — of ice
  23. file — a document
  24. ruler — a monarch

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