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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: rule · fall · charge · net · ground · bowl · rush · branch

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. net — after costs
  3. rule — a law
  4. fall — the season
  5. net — for catching
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. ground — the earth
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. ground — crushed
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. ground — a position
  12. charge — electricity
  13. net — in sport
  14. branch — a division
  15. fall — to drop
  16. rush — hurry
  17. charge — a price
  18. fall — to drop
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. rule — government

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