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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 116 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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. net — for catching
  4. game — a match
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — after costs
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. game — wild animals
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. dip — to sink
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mouse — the animal

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