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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: pitcher · cabinet · bass · fork · branch · patient · stand · staff

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. staff — employees
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. staff — a stick
  10. branch — a division
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bass — the fish
  16. staff — employees
  17. bass — low music
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. fork — in a road
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. stand — to bear
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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