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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: chest · branch · bore · rule · rush · pop · pass · pitch

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. pop — soda
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. rule — a law
  11. bore — to drill
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pop — music
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pass — a permit
  17. bore — to tire
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — a box
  20. pop — to visit
  21. chest — of your body
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. branch — of a bank

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