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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: bank · branch · cap · pop · patient · trunk · cue · bass

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — of a river
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. cap — a hat
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bass — low music
  8. pop — music
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. cue — a hint
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. branch — a division
  13. cap — a lid
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bank — for money
  17. cue — a signal
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. pop — soda
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cue — for pool
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. pop — to visit

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