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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: drill · chest · bank · scale · key · patient · stick · bark

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bank — for money
  4. drill — the tool
  5. bank — of a river
  6. chest — of your body
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. scale — size or range
  10. bank — for money
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. drill — a practice
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. chest — a box
  15. drill — army training
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. key — in music
  18. bark — to shout
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. key — the most important part
  21. key — for a lock
  22. chest — of your body
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. scale — in music

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