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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. file — a document
  3. cue — for pool
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. tube — the underground
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. land — ground
  9. branch — a division
  10. file — a line of people
  11. land — to come down
  12. ball — a dance
  13. cue — a signal
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. spell — a short time
  17. file — a tool
  18. spell — magic
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. spell — letters
  21. land — a country
  22. ball — a great time
  23. cue — a hint
  24. tube — a container

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