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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 120 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: pop · bound · pit · branch · patient · fan · bark · squash

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bound — obliged
  5. branch — a division
  6. pit — a hole
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. pop — music
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. squash — to crush
  14. bark — to shout
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. bound — tied together
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pop — soda
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pop — to visit
  23. bound — certain
  24. squash — the vegetable

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