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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.

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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: board · snap · mark · patient · pit · craft · branch · foot

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. snap — to click
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. mark — a trace
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. mark — a grade
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. pit — in a race
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. craft — boats
  21. craft — a skill
  22. branch — a division
  23. foot — a measure
  24. board — to get on

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