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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 · wound · pop · bore · patient · bank · mine · can

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. field — farmland
  3. wound — an injury
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. can — to be able to
  9. mine — for digging
  10. pop — to visit
  11. can — a tin
  12. pop — soda
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bank — for money
  15. field — for sport
  16. can — a tin
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. pop — music
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. bank — of a river
  21. field — a subject
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bank — for money
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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