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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: bowl · charge · track · rush · calf · bank · patient · deal

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bank — for money
  4. deal — to handle
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. track — a path
  8. track — a song
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. charge — a price
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. charge — electricity
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bank — for money
  20. track — to keep track
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. charge — in control

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