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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. firm — decided
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. chip — for betting
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. prune — to trim
  11. firm — steady
  12. bear — the animal
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. prune — to trim
  15. chip — to eat
  16. rush — hurry
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. firm — a company
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. branch — a division
  24. chip — in a computer

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