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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: jam · degree · net · foot · patient · snap · branch · fine

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. net — for catching
  3. snap — to click
  4. degree — temperature
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. fine — high quality
  9. degree — an amount
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. net — after costs
  12. fine — all right
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. degree — from a university
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. net — in sport
  22. foot — a measure
  23. branch — a division
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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