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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: club · patient · branch · bore · cabinet · firm · pitch · last

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. firm — steady
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. firm — a company
  6. club — for dancing
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pitch — completely
  9. branch — a division
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. club — for golf
  14. last — to go on
  15. firm — decided
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. club — a group
  21. bore — to drill
  22. last — final
  23. bore — to tire
  24. last — finally

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