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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bear · can · racket · date · chair · clip · patient · branch

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — the fruit
  4. can — to be able to
  5. clip — a video
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. clip — for paper
  11. can — a tin
  12. branch — a division
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bear — the animal
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. chair — a leader
  18. can — a tin
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. bear — the animal
  23. clip — to cut
  24. racket — for tennis

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