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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: vault · branch · firm · fork · roll · patient · bass · land

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. roll — a list
  3. roll — a cake
  4. bass — low music
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. fork — in a road
  10. firm — decided
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. firm — a company
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. firm — steady
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. land — to come down
  19. land — a country
  20. land — ground
  21. bass — the fish
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. branch — a division
  24. fork — to eat with

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