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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: branch · pop · kick · rule · rush · band · fork · staff

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fork — in a road
  5. rule — a law
  6. band — a ring
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. kick — in football
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — hurry
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. staff — a stick
  15. band — a music group
  16. pop — to visit
  17. branch — a division
  18. pop — music
  19. rule — government
  20. staff — employees
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. pop — soda
  24. staff — employees

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