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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 120 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: wake · branch · band · cue · court · patient · swing · bowl

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. court — of law
  3. branch — a division
  4. court — for sport
  5. band — a ring
  6. swing — music
  7. court — of a king
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. band — a music group
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. cue — for pool
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. cue — a hint
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. cue — a signal
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. swing — to play on
  23. swing — in golf
  24. bowl — a dish

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