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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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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: vault · branch · pound · patient · mug · toast · cell · board

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. mug — a face
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. cell — in biology
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. vault — a safe
  9. toast — bread
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. mug — a cup
  16. board — to get on
  17. cell — a phone
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. branch — a division
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. board — a committee
  23. mug — to rob
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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