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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: coach · perch · branch · rule · stem · ball · can · kick

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. kick — in football
  4. branch — a division
  5. perch — the fish
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. rule — a law
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. ball — a dance
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. can — a tin
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. stem — to come from
  17. ball — a great time
  18. rule — government
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. can — to be able to
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. can — a tin
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. kick — with a leg

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