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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: board · root · branch · patient · degree · net · fork · wound

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. branch — a division
  3. degree — from a university
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. root — the cause
  8. net — in sport
  9. wound — an injury
  10. root — of a plant
  11. degree — temperature
  12. net — for catching
  13. wound — an injury
  14. board — a committee
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. root — of a word
  17. net — after costs
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — to get on
  21. degree — an amount
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. fork — in a road
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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