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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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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: patient · cue · current · file · pound · suit · branch · bear

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. current — happening now
  4. suit — in cards
  5. pound — a weight
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. cue — a hint
  8. bear — the animal
  9. current — electric
  10. bear — the animal
  11. file — a line of people
  12. suit — to fit
  13. file — a document
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. file — a tool
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. cue — for pool
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. current — of water
  21. branch — a division
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. suit — clothes

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