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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 · pass · wave · branch · cap · staff · court · band

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. branch — a division
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — a stick
  7. band — a music group
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. pass — a permit
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. cap — a hat
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. staff — employees
  16. court — of a king
  17. band — a ring
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. court — of law
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. court — for sport
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cap — a lid

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