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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: net · branch · ruler · patient · file · bear · season · ball

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — after costs
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. season — of the year
  8. ball — a great time
  9. branch — a division
  10. file — a document
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. ball — a dance
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. file — a line of people
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. season — in sport
  20. file — a tool
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. net — for catching
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. season — to add flavour

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