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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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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — the fruit
  5. mug — a face
  6. board — a committee
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. bulb — for light
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. branch — a division
  14. bulb — for light
  15. mug — to rob
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — in music
  19. board — to get on
  20. key — the most important part
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. mug — a cup
  23. row — a line
  24. row — to paddle

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