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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: fine · staff · bound · bank · patient · prune · bat · roll

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — certain
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. staff — a stick
  7. fine — high quality
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bound — tied together
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. roll — a list
  13. bank — of a river
  14. prune — to trim
  15. fine — all right
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bank — for money
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bank — for money
  20. staff — employees
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. bat — the animal
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. staff — employees

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