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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: drill · band · season · bank · board · patient · cabinet · bass

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. band — a ring
  5. drill — a practice
  6. board — to get on
  7. drill — the tool
  8. board — a committee
  9. bass — the fish
  10. season — in sport
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bank — for money
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bank — for money
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. bank — of a river
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. band — a music group
  23. drill — army training
  24. season — of the year

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