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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: rule · drill · squash · branch · net · cue · rock · ground

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ground — crushed
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. squash — the sport
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. squash — to crush
  9. rock — music
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. net — after costs
  12. rule — government
  13. net — for catching
  14. rule — a law
  15. drill — army training
  16. rock — a stone
  17. cue — a hint
  18. net — in sport
  19. cue — for pool
  20. drill — the tool
  21. drill — a practice
  22. cue — a signal
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. ground — a position

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