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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 116 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: branch · last · rule · track · nail · stem · chip · cue

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. cue — for pool
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. branch — a division
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. rule — government
  7. rule — a law
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. last — final
  10. chip — for betting
  11. last — to go on
  12. track — to keep track
  13. chip — to eat
  14. last — finally
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. cue — a signal
  18. stem — to come from
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. cue — a hint
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. track — a song
  24. stem — of a plant

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