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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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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 · racket · fall · patient · bank · band · cell · mark

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. roll — a list
  3. bank — for money
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bank — for money
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. fall — to drop
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. cell — in biology
  13. bank — of a river
  14. band — a ring
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. roll — a cake
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. mark — a grade
  21. band — a music group
  22. cell — a phone
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. mark — a trace

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