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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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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 · leaves · cell · racket · rule · hand · present · fine

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. cell — a phone
  6. rule — a law
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. branch — a division
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. fine — all right
  13. cell — in biology
  14. present — there
  15. rule — government
  16. present — the time now
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. fine — high quality
  20. hand — help
  21. hand — in cards
  22. present — a gift
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. racket — for tennis

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