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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 120 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 · patient · pound · root · racket · rush · bank · ball

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. ball — a great time
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. bank — of a river
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. bank — for money
  11. root — of a word
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. rush — hurry
  18. ball — a dance
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. root — of a plant
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. bank — for money
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. root — the cause

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