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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: field · tube · bass · nail · bank · patient · wound · rock

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bass — low music
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. tube — the underground
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. field — for sport
  11. field — farmland
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — a stone
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — an injury
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. field — a subject
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bass — the fish
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. tube — a container
  24. bank — for money

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