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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 · board · racket · suit · nail · branch · straw · ground

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. ground — the earth
  7. suit — to fit
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. ground — a position
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. board — to get on
  15. suit — in cards
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. ground — crushed
  18. branch — a division
  19. board — a committee
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. suit — clothes
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. straw — a straw man
  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