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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
468
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: drill · patient · pitch · rash · bowl · branch · jam · face

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. rash — a series
  5. face — to point toward
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. face — to confront
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. rash — hasty
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. branch — a division
  16. drill — army training
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. drill — a practice
  19. face — part of the head
  20. drill — the tool
  21. pitch — completely
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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