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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. clip — for paper
  3. degree — from a university
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. rock — a stone
  6. bank — for money
  7. staff — employees
  8. bank — of a river
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. degree — an amount
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. bank — for money
  15. clip — a video
  16. staff — a stick
  17. fine — high quality
  18. rock — music
  19. staff — employees
  20. degree — temperature
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. fine — all right
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. clip — to cut

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