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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. object — a thing
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. row — to paddle
  5. object — an aim
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. object — to protest
  10. court — of a king
  11. branch — a division
  12. court — for sport
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. march — the month
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. capital — money
  17. march — the month
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. court — of law
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. march — music
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. row — a line
  24. capital — a city

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