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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: file · dip · rule · trunk · branch · racket · ground · pass

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. file — a tool
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. rule — a law
  7. branch — a division
  8. rule — government
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. file — a document
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. file — a line of people
  13. pass — a permit
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. ground — the earth
  17. ground — crushed
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. dip — to sink
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. rule — to rule out

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