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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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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: wave · ball · lean · patient · pitcher · mate · coach · branch

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. mate — to breed
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. ball — a dance
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. mate — a friend
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. branch — a division
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. mate — a partner
  15. lean — thin
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. ball — a great time
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. lean — to bend
  24. ball — a round shape

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