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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: patient · club · fork · rash · ruler · bound · bank · press

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. club — for dancing
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. rash — a series
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. press — to push
  10. bound — certain
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. fork — in a road
  13. bank — for money
  14. press — a publisher
  15. club — for golf
  16. rash — hasty
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bound — obliged
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bank — for money
  22. press — newspapers
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. club — a group

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