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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 · bank · game · foot · dip · fine · patient · roll

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. branch — a division
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. roll — a list
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. dip — to sink
  10. fine — all right
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. game — a match
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. bank — for money
  17. foot — a measure
  18. roll — a cake
  19. game — wild animals
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. fine — high quality
  24. bank — for money

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