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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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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: rush · cue · race · fork · rule · toast · branch · craft

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. craft — boats
  4. rule — a law
  5. fork — in a road
  6. craft — a skill
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. race — humankind
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. rush — hurry
  14. branch — a division
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. cue — a signal
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. cue — a hint
  19. toast — bread
  20. cue — for pool
  21. race — the arms race
  22. rule — government
  23. race — a contest
  24. branch — of a bank

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