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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 · court · branch · saw · craft · press · key · bark

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. court — of a king
  5. craft — boats
  6. court — for sport
  7. saw — the tool
  8. press — newspapers
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. press — to push
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bark — to shout
  14. craft — a skill
  15. branch — a division
  16. press — a publisher
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. key — in music
  20. key — the most important part
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. saw — the tool
  23. court — of law
  24. branch — of a bank

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