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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: wound · branch · patient · net · bound · swing · scale · bore

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. net — for catching
  4. scale — size or range
  5. bore — to tire
  6. branch — a division
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. scale — in music
  11. wound — an injury
  12. swing — in golf
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bore — to drill
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bound — tied together
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. bound — certain
  21. swing — to play on
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. swing — music
  24. net — after costs

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