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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mate · bank · toast · bound · patient · branch · firm · pitcher

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bound — certain
  4. firm — steady
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bank — for money
  7. mate — to breed
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. mate — a partner
  11. bank — for money
  12. branch — a division
  13. bound — obliged
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. mate — a friend
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. firm — decided
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. toast — bread
  22. bank — of a river
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. firm — a company

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