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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: roll · branch · pitcher · last · can · saw · rule · charge

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. last — finally
  4. can — a tin
  5. last — final
  6. charge — in control
  7. roll — a cake
  8. saw — the tool
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. charge — a price
  12. roll — a list
  13. can — to be able to
  14. charge — electricity
  15. branch — a division
  16. last — to go on
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. saw — the tool
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. rule — government
  24. can — a tin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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