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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: firm · cabinet · field · patient · track · pitcher · bank · board

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. firm — steady
  5. track — a song
  6. firm — a company
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. track — to keep track
  10. field — a subject
  11. bank — of a river
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. board — a committee
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. field — for sport
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. bank — for money
  20. firm — decided
  21. track — a path
  22. field — farmland
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. board — to get on

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