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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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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: cap · fan · patient · kid · branch · track · pop · board

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  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. branch — a division
  3. pop — to visit
  4. track — to keep track
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. pop — soda
  8. pop — music
  9. track — a song
  10. kid — to tease
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a hat
  16. track — a path
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. kid — child
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. board — a committee
  21. cap — a lid
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. board — to get on
  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