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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 120 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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. bass — the fish
  4. present — there
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. present — the time now
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bass — low music
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. object — an aim
  13. object — to protest
  14. object — a thing
  15. stand — to bear
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. branch — a division
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. present — a gift
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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