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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: lie · swing · ball · patient · branch · mate · bowl · chip

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. mate — a friend
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. lie — to recline
  7. chip — for betting
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. ball — a dance
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. chip — to eat
  12. branch — a division
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. swing — in golf
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. swing — to play on
  20. mate — to breed
  21. ball — a great time
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. swing — music
  24. mate — a partner

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