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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. chip — for betting
  9. bank — for money
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bear — the animal
  12. chair — a leader
  13. bank — for money
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. chip — to eat
  20. bear — the animal
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. branch — a division
  23. bank — of a river
  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