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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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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 · patient · file · chair · club · rest · content · ruler

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. club — for golf
  3. branch — a division
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. rest — a break
  6. content — happy
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. rest — what's left
  9. club — a group
  10. club — for dancing
  11. file — a line of people
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. rest — what's left
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. file — a tool
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. content — the amount
  20. chair — a leader
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. ruler — a monarch

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