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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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Word bank
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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: field · press · branch · patient · clip · nail · vault · racket

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. press — a publisher
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. clip — to cut
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. vault — a safe
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. press — to push
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. branch — a division
  17. field — farmland
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. clip — a video
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. field — a subject
  22. clip — for paper
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. field — for sport

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