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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: nail · roll · bank · present · bark · field · patient · fork

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. present — a gift
  6. present — there
  7. roll — a list
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. field — a subject
  12. fork — in a road
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bank — for money
  15. field — farmland
  16. field — for sport
  17. bank — for money
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. present — the time now
  20. roll — a cake
  21. bank — of a river
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. nail — on a finger

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