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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 120 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
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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 · sharp · scale · bore · march · patient · can · land

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. scale — in music
  4. scale — size or range
  5. bore — to tire
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. can — to be able to
  8. march — the month
  9. can — a tin
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. land — a country
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. march — the month
  14. branch — a division
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. can — a tin
  17. bore — to drill
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. land — ground
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. sharp — clever
  23. land — to come down
  24. march — music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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