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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: fine · branch · rule · tube · ball · rush · cold · key

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  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. fine — high quality
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. ball — a great time
  4. tube — the underground
  5. branch — a division
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. cold — not warm
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. tube — a container
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. cold — an illness
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. fine — all right
  16. ball — a dance
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rule — a law
  21. key — the most important part
  22. key — for a lock
  23. key — in music
  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