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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: game · net · pass · craft · field · branch · patient · kid

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. field — a subject
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. craft — boats
  6. field — for sport
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. net — in sport
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. branch — a division
  15. net — for catching
  16. kid — child
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. kid — to tease
  19. pass — a permit
  20. game — a match
  21. craft — a skill
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. game — wild animals
  24. field — farmland

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