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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: file · field · cue · club · bark · bank · jam · patient

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. bark — to shout
  3. field — a subject
  4. club — for dancing
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. file — a tool
  8. cue — for pool
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cue — a signal
  15. bank — for money
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bank — for money
  18. file — a line of people
  19. club — a group
  20. file — a document
  21. club — for golf
  22. bank — of a river
  23. field — farmland
  24. field — for sport

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