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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 116 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: field · patient · leaves · club · stand · branch · ruler · game

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. stand — to bear
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. game — wild animals
  6. club — a group
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. field — farmland
  12. field — a subject
  13. club — for dancing
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. club — for golf
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. branch — a division
  20. game — a match
  21. field — for sport
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. leaves — to go away

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