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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 116 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: pop · vault · deal · mug · chair · branch · patient · band

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. mug — to rob
  4. pop — soda
  5. mug — a face
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. vault — a safe
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. mug — a cup
  14. deal — to handle
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. band — a music group
  17. pop — music
  18. pop — to visit
  19. band — a ring
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. chair — a leader
  24. deal — a big deal

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