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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: file · club · bank · object · patient · kick

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. bank — for money
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bank — for money
  7. file — a line of people
  8. object — a thing
  9. file — a tool
  10. club — a group
  11. bank — of a river
  12. object — an aim
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. file — a document
  15. kick — in football
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. club — for golf
  18. club — for dancing

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