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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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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 · racket · kick · pound · prune · branch · fine · wave

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  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. pound — for dogs
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. kick — in football
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. fine — all right
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. fine — high quality
  12. pound — a weight
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. branch — a division
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. prune — to trim
  23. patient — a sick person
  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