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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · fork · tube · pop · patient · pound · chip · nail

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. pop — to visit
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. chip — for betting
  5. tube — the underground
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tube — a container
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pop — music
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. pop — soda
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. chip — to eat
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. fork — in a road
  24. branch — a division

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