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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: branch · mate · net · bore · cue · patient · craft · pop

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. bore — to drill
  3. craft — boats
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. cue — for pool
  6. pop — music
  7. mate — a friend
  8. net — for catching
  9. cue — a hint
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. branch — a division
  14. net — after costs
  15. net — in sport
  16. mate — a partner
  17. pop — to visit
  18. mate — to breed
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. pop — soda
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. cue — a signal

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