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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: club · patient · saw · bore · craft · game · bank · plane

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. bore — to drill
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bore — to tire
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. craft — boats
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bank — for money
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. plane — a tool
  15. game — wild animals
  16. saw — the tool
  17. club — a group
  18. bank — for money
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. club — for dancing
  21. game — a match
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. bank — of a river

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