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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: spring · patient · leaves · fan · deal · jam · branch · stock

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. spring — the season
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. stock — shares
  8. stock — goods
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. spring — a coil
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. spring — of water
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. branch — a division
  24. deal — to handle

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