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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.

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: patient · craft · pitcher · arm · bear · ground · branch · race

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. ground — a position
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. race — the arms race
  8. bear — the animal
  9. race — a contest
  10. ground — the earth
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. ground — crushed
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. branch — a division
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. craft — a skill
  17. craft — boats
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. race — humankind
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bear — the animal
  24. arm — part of the body

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