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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: bank · roll · patient · field · squash · cue · rash · plane

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. roll — a list
  4. rash — a series
  5. bank — of a river
  6. cue — a hint
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. squash — the sport
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. roll — a cake
  13. bank — for money
  14. cue — a signal
  15. field — a subject
  16. squash — to crush
  17. rash — hasty
  18. field — for sport
  19. plane — a tool
  20. cue — for pool
  21. field — farmland
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. rash — on the skin

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