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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: rock · row · bass · net · branch · rule · shower · mouse

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. rock — music
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. row — to paddle
  7. net — for catching
  8. bass — the fish
  9. shower — to wash
  10. rule — a law
  11. branch — a division
  12. bass — low music
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. rock — a stone
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. row — a line
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. net — after costs
  19. rule — government
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. shower — rain
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. net — 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