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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: net · sharp · rule · kid · coach · swing · deal · branch

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rule — government
  5. net — after costs
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. swing — to play on
  9. swing — in golf
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. net — for catching
  12. sharp — clever
  13. deal — to handle
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. kid — to tease
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. kid — child
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. branch — a division
  21. net — in sport
  22. swing — music
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. deal — a big deal

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