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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: pound · suit · branch · land · rush · patient · wave · court

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. court — for sport
  3. suit — to fit
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. pound — a weight
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. land — to come down
  11. court — of law
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. land — ground
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. suit — clothes
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. rush — hurry
  18. branch — a division
  19. land — a country
  20. court — of a king
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. suit — in cards
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. pound — to hit hard

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