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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: branch · cue · key · can · patient · net · rule · face

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. key — in music
  3. can — a tin
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. can — a tin
  7. net — in sport
  8. net — for catching
  9. branch — a division
  10. cue — a hint
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. can — to be able to
  14. face — to confront
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. rule — a law
  18. cue — for pool
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — for a lock
  21. face — to point toward
  22. rule — government
  23. face — part of the head
  24. cue — a signal

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