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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: bowl · field · fine · march · patient · rush · key · bank

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. field — a subject
  3. field — for sport
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. key — for a lock
  6. march — music
  7. march — the month
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. key — in music
  12. fine — all right
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bank — for money
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bank — for money
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. march — the month
  21. key — the most important part
  22. fine — high quality
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. field — farmland

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