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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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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 · dip · fine · bark · bowl · bass · branch · land

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. fine — all right
  3. land — ground
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. branch — a division
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. land — a country
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. fine — high quality
  13. bass — low music
  14. land — to come down
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. dip — to sink
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. dip — to dunk

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