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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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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 · calf · branch · board · club · rule · row · bank

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  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. branch — of a bank
  2. board — a committee
  3. club — for dancing
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. row — to paddle
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. row — a line
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. rule — government
  12. rule — a law
  13. board — to get on
  14. bank — for money
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. club — a group
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. branch — a division
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bank — for money
  21. club — for golf
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. row — a quarrel
  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