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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 · fine · chair · scale · kick · rock · patient · cell

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. fine — high quality
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. scale — in music
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. rock — music
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. fine — all right
  13. chair — a leader
  14. kick — in football
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. rock — a stone
  18. scale — size or range
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. cell — a phone
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. cell — in biology

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