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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: branch · hand · perch · pitcher · content · track · club · patient

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. branch — a division
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. track — a song
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. club — for golf
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. track — to keep track
  14. hand — in cards
  15. content — happy
  16. perch — the fish
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. club — for dancing
  19. hand — help
  20. track — a path
  21. club — a group
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. content — the amount

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