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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. degree — from a university
  3. rest — what's left
  4. suit — clothes
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. pitch — completely
  7. degree — temperature
  8. rock — a stone
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. degree — an amount
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. branch — a division
  14. wind — moving air
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. rock — music
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. rest — what's left
  20. suit — in cards
  21. rest — a break
  22. wind — moving air
  23. suit — to fit
  24. wind — to turn a key

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