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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 120 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: club · staff · field · fine · patient · bear · content · bank

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. bear — the animal
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — a stick
  7. bear — the animal
  8. field — a subject
  9. bank — for money
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. field — farmland
  12. fine — all right
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bank — for money
  15. club — a group
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fine — high quality
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. club — for golf
  20. content — happy
  21. bank — of a river
  22. field — for sport
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. content — the amount

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