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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: season · bat · patient · pass · fine · tube · net · bank

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. season — in sport
  6. pass — a permit
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tube — a container
  9. net — in sport
  10. tube — the underground
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bank — for money
  13. season — of the year
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. fine — high quality
  16. bank — for money
  17. fine — all right
  18. net — after costs
  19. bank — of a river
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. net — for catching
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bat — the animal

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