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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 116 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: suit · patient · rock · pit · land · bank · staff · craft

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. craft — a skill
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. land — to come down
  7. rock — a stone
  8. land — ground
  9. rock — music
  10. pit — a hole
  11. staff — employees
  12. suit — to fit
  13. staff — a stick
  14. bank — for money
  15. staff — employees
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. bank — for money
  18. land — a country
  19. suit — clothes
  20. bank — of a river
  21. suit — in cards
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pit — in a race
  24. craft — boats

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