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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: branch · firm · coach · patient · pass · net · spring · pit

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. net — after costs
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. branch — a division
  6. spring — the season
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. firm — decided
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. spring — a coil
  14. pit — a hole
  15. spring — of water
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pit — in a race
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. net — for catching
  21. firm — steady
  22. net — in sport
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. firm — a company

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