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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: clip · branch · jam · patient · cabinet · pop · racket · mark

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. mark — a grade
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. pop — music
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. pop — to visit
  17. mark — a trace
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. clip — a video
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. branch — a division
  23. clip — for paper
  24. clip — to cut

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