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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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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: game · board · patient · bank · object · can · firm · fall

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. bank — for money
  3. can — a tin
  4. firm — a company
  5. fall — the season
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. firm — decided
  8. board — a committee
  9. object — an aim
  10. board — to get on
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. can — a tin
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. fall — to drop
  15. can — to be able to
  16. game — wild animals
  17. bank — for money
  18. object — to protest
  19. bank — of a river
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. object — a thing
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. game — a match
  24. fall — to drop

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