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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: stick · rule · band · patient · branch · stand · nail · pitcher

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. branch — a division
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. rule — a law
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. band — a ring
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stand — to bear
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. rule — government
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. band — a music group
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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