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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: craft · branch · court · game · patient · present · chip · fork

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. chip — to eat
  3. present — the time now
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. chip — for betting
  8. branch — a division
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. craft — a skill
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. craft — boats
  14. court — of law
  15. game — wild animals
  16. game — a match
  17. present — there
  18. fork — in a road
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. court — of a king
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. present — a gift
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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