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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: chair · band · foot · patient · mug · toast · branch · fine

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. mug — to rob
  6. mug — a cup
  7. foot — a measure
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. toast — bread
  10. mug — a face
  11. band — a music group
  12. band — a ring
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. fine — all right
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. chair — a leader
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. branch — a division
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. band — a rubber band

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