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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: cell · branch · mug · clip · firm · club · staff · patient

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  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. club — for golf
  2. clip — to cut
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. mug — a cup
  5. club — for dancing
  6. cell — in biology
  7. mug — to rob
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. staff — employees
  11. clip — a video
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. staff — a stick
  14. firm — decided
  15. staff — employees
  16. branch — a division
  17. firm — steady
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. cell — a phone
  20. clip — for paper
  21. club — a group
  22. mug — a face
  23. branch — of a bank
  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