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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: patient · branch · nail · track · club · file · rule · rock

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. rule — a law
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. rule — government
  6. track — a path
  7. rock — music
  8. rock — a stone
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. file — a tool
  11. file — a line of people
  12. file — a document
  13. club — for golf
  14. branch — a division
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. club — for dancing
  19. club — a group
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. track — a song

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