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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 · tube · prune · scale · bound · firm · foot · bank

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. foot — a measure
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. tube — the underground
  8. firm — a company
  9. bank — for money
  10. prune — to trim
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bank — for money
  13. scale — size or range
  14. bound — obliged
  15. tube — a container
  16. bound — certain
  17. bound — tied together
  18. scale — in music
  19. firm — decided
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bank — of a river

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