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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: bass · can · tube · pound · staff · bat · patient · branch

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. staff — employees
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. branch — a division
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. staff — a stick
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. can — a tin
  14. bass — the fish
  15. pound — a weight
  16. bass — low music
  17. tube — a container
  18. bat — the animal
  19. staff — employees
  20. can — to be able to
  21. can — a tin
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. tube — the underground

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