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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: bank · firm · patient · pitcher · game · bowl · fine · band

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. fine — high quality
  6. game — wild animals
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — of a river
  14. game — a match
  15. bank — for money
  16. firm — decided
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. band — a ring
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. firm — steady
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. firm — a company
  24. band — a music group

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