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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: pit · nail · fan · roll · foot · present · patient · branch

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. roll — a cake
  3. pit — in a race
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. foot — a measure
  9. present — a gift
  10. branch — a division
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. roll — a list
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. present — there
  17. present — the time now
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. pit — a hole
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. nail — for a hammer

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