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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: arm · bank · march · bark · patient · coach · land · game

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. land — a country
  3. march — the month
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. game — wild animals
  9. land — ground
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bank — for money
  12. bark — to shout
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. bank — for money
  15. land — to come down
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. march — music
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. game — a match
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. march — the month
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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