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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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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: march · current · branch · fork · lie · patient · board · ball

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. ball — a great time
  3. march — the month
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. board — a committee
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. current — electric
  12. ball — a dance
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. current — of water
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. board — to get on
  19. current — happening now
  20. march — the month
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. fork — in a road
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. march — music

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