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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: branch · patient · jam · deal · pop · field · board · track

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  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. patient — a sick person
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. field — a subject
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. board — to get on
  8. track — to keep track
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. pop — soda
  11. pop — music
  12. board — a committee
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. track — a path
  15. field — farmland
  16. track — a song
  17. pop — to visit
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. deal — to handle
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. branch — a division
  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