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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: roll · bank · patient · fine · bat · net · board · squash

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bat — the animal
  4. net — after costs
  5. roll — a list
  6. fine — high quality
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bank — for money
  9. net — for catching
  10. squash — to crush
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — to get on
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bank — of a river
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. net — in sport
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. fine — all right
  20. bank — for money
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. roll — a cake
  23. squash — the sport
  24. board — a flat piece

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