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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: rest · suit · pitcher · land · patient · branch · fine · deal

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — what's left
  3. branch — a division
  4. fine — all right
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. fine — high quality
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — ground
  13. land — a country
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. suit — clothes
  17. rest — a break
  18. suit — in cards
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. deal — to handle
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. suit — to fit

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