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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: capital · patient · club · bore · lean · branch · mine · racket

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lean — thin
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mine — for digging
  6. capital — a city
  7. branch — a division
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. capital — money
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. bore — to tire
  15. lean — to bend
  16. club — for dancing
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. club — a group
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bore — to drill
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. club — for golf
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. racket — for tennis

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