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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: spell · club · patient · bank · game · bass · track · rush

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spell — magic
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. club — for dancing
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. track — a song
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. game — a match
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. bank — of a river
  13. track — to keep track
  14. spell — letters
  15. club — for golf
  16. rush — hurry
  17. track — a path
  18. club — a group
  19. bank — for money
  20. bass — low music
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bank — for money
  23. bass — the fish
  24. game — wild animals

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