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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: nail · bass · scale · roll · bank · fan · patient · vault

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. vault — a safe
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. roll — a cake
  7. bass — the fish
  8. scale — size or range
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. scale — in music
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. bass — low music
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. bank — of a river
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. bank — for money
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. roll — a list

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