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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: pound · fork · branch · pop · rule · racket · toast · fan

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. toast — bread
  3. rule — government
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. pound — a weight
  6. branch — a division
  7. pop — music
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. rule — a law
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. pop — to visit
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fork — in a road
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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