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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · season · chair · racket · spring · rule · bore · toast

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. bore — to tire
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. spring — the season
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. rule — a law
  10. toast — bread
  11. spring — of water
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. season — of the year
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. rule — government
  16. spring — a coil
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. chair — a leader
  20. bore — to drill
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. season — in sport

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