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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: mine · rush · deal · branch · arm · track · fine · ruler

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. track — a song
  4. mine — for digging
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. track — to keep track
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. deal — to handle
  16. fine — all right
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. track — a path
  19. rush — hurry
  20. fine — high quality
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. branch — a division
  24. mine — an explosive

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