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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: pitch · patient · suit · wake · hide · stock · branch · bound

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. suit — to fit
  5. stock — goods
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. suit — in cards
  8. suit — clothes
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. bound — obliged
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. pitch — completely
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bound — certain
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. stock — shares

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