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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: fork · last · bass · mine · patient · racket · stick · rock

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. fork — in a road
  3. mine — for digging
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. last — finally
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bass — the fish
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. last — to go on
  22. rock — a stone
  23. bass — low music
  24. rock — music

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