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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rule · scale · key · branch · staff · fall · coach · club

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. scale — size or range
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. staff — employees
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. fall — to drop
  7. key — the most important part
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. scale — in music
  10. rule — a law
  11. key — in music
  12. club — for dancing
  13. club — a group
  14. fall — the season
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. rule — government
  17. fall — to drop
  18. key — for a lock
  19. staff — a stick
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. club — for golf
  22. staff — employees
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. branch — a division

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