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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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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 · chair · branch · game · pound · bound · present · scale

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. pound — a weight
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. scale — in music
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. chair — a leader
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. game — wild animals
  12. present — a gift
  13. scale — size or range
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. present — the time now
  20. game — a match
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bound — certain
  24. branch — a division

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