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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: patient · can · drill · band · plane · chip · row · bass

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. chip — for betting
  6. drill — a practice
  7. row — a line
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. bass — low music
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. drill — the tool
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. can — a tin
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. drill — army training
  17. row — to paddle
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. plane — a tool
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. band — a music group
  23. band — a ring
  24. chip — to eat

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