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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.

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: bark · chip · march · patient · sharp · stick · branch · mate

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. march — the month
  6. march — music
  7. bark — to shout
  8. mate — a partner
  9. chip — for betting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. branch — a division
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. chip — to eat
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. mate — to breed
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. sharp — clever
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. mate — a friend
  22. march — the month
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. branch — of a tree

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