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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: branch · cap · track · hand · patient · prune · mug · fine

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. cap — a lid
  3. track — a song
  4. prune — to trim
  5. hand — in cards
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. track — a path
  8. cap — a hat
  9. prune — to trim
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — help
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. cap — of ice
  18. track — to keep track
  19. mug — a face
  20. branch — a division
  21. fine — all right
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mug — a cup

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