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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 120 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: ground · rule · foot · bear · branch · pit · coach · kick

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  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. branch — of a bank
  2. foot — a measure
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. ground — the earth
  6. pit — a hole
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. branch — a division
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. bear — the animal
  12. ground — a position
  13. pit — in a race
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. kick — in football
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. ground — crushed
  22. rule — a law
  23. bear — the animal
  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