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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: bank · bear · roll · pitch · cap · chip · land · patient

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. land — ground
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. chip — for betting
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. bank — for money
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bank — of a river
  10. cap — of ice
  11. roll — a list
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. roll — a cake
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. cap — a lid
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pitch — completely
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. chip — to eat
  21. cap — a hat
  22. land — a country
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. land — to come down

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