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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: arm · rule · patient · club · vault · bank · mine · pit

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. vault — a safe
  3. bank — for money
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. pit — in a race
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. bank — for money
  8. club — for golf
  9. pit — a hole
  10. club — a group
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. rule — a law
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rule — government
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. bank — of a river
  20. club — for dancing
  21. mine — for digging
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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