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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 · craft · ground · branch · land · firm · bear · coach

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. craft — a skill
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. craft — boats
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. land — ground
  8. bear — the animal
  9. ground — a position
  10. ground — the earth
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. land — to come down
  14. ground — crushed
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. firm — a company
  18. firm — decided
  19. firm — steady
  20. bear — the animal
  21. land — a country
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. patient — a sick person

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