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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: rock · branch · temple · patient · pop · row · deal · ball

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. rock — music
  3. row — to paddle
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. pop — music
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. pop — to visit
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. ball — a great time
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. rock — a stone
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. row — a line
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. deal — to handle
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. branch — a division
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. pop — soda

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