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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: pop · bank · charge · tear · board · patient · scale · rest

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bank — of a river
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. scale — in music
  5. pop — music
  6. scale — size or range
  7. board — a committee
  8. charge — in control
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. charge — electricity
  11. pop — to visit
  12. board — to get on
  13. tear — from crying
  14. rest — what's left
  15. tear — from crying
  16. charge — a price
  17. bank — for money
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. tear — to rip
  20. rest — a break
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. rest — what's left
  23. pop — soda
  24. bank — for money

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