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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: branch · suit · patient · band · shower · rock · key · bowl

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. rock — music
  3. suit — to fit
  4. band — a ring
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. key — in music
  7. suit — in cards
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. shower — to wash
  10. suit — clothes
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. key — for a lock
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. shower — rain
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. key — the most important part
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. branch — a division
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. rock — a stone

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