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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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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: ball · pop · patient · racket · kid · branch · arm · band

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. ball — a great time
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pop — soda
  15. branch — a division
  16. band — a music group
  17. kid — child
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. pop — music
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. band — a ring
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. kid — to tease

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