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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: net · pop · branch · rule · pitch · snap · rash · deal

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. rule — government
  3. pop — soda
  4. net — in sport
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. pop — music
  7. branch — a division
  8. net — for catching
  9. rash — a series
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. snap — to click
  12. pitch — completely
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. deal — to handle
  16. rash — hasty
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. pop — to visit
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. net — after costs
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. rule — a law
  24. branch — of a tree

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