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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: bay · patient · pop · branch · rock · pass · ground · row

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. ground — the earth
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. pop — music
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. ground — a position
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. ground — crushed
  12. rock — music
  13. pop — to visit
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. branch — a division
  18. pass — a permit
  19. rock — a stone
  20. pop — soda
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. row — to paddle
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. patient — a sick person

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