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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: ball · rest · degree · band · roll · vault · bank · patient

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. ball — a dance
  4. rest — a break
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bank — of a river
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. vault — a safe
  9. roll — a list
  10. degree — from a university
  11. band — a ring
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. degree — an amount
  14. rest — what's left
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. ball — a great time
  17. bank — for money
  18. band — a music group
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. degree — temperature
  22. roll — a cake
  23. rest — what's left
  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