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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: suit · bear · shower · patient · degree · branch · land · key

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. bear — the animal
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. shower — to wash
  5. degree — from a university
  6. degree — an amount
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. bear — the animal
  9. shower — rain
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. suit — to fit
  12. suit — clothes
  13. key — for a lock
  14. land — ground
  15. suit — in cards
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. key — in music
  18. land — a country
  19. land — to come down
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. key — the most important part
  22. degree — temperature
  23. branch — a division
  24. patient — a sick person

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