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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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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: rock · band · roll · fine · field · patient · branch · mark

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. roll — a list
  4. rock — music
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. field — farmland
  11. fine — all right
  12. roll — a cake
  13. fine — high quality
  14. mark — a grade
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. field — a subject
  17. band — a ring
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. field — for sport
  20. branch — a division
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. band — a music group
  24. fine — a penalty

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