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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: patient · bulb · toast · craft · march · branch · swing · present

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. branch — a division
  5. present — there
  6. swing — to play on
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. craft — boats
  9. present — a gift
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. march — music
  12. present — the time now
  13. bulb — for light
  14. march — the month
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. march — the month
  18. swing — in golf
  19. swing — music
  20. toast — bread
  21. bulb — for light
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. craft — a skill

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