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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: band · trunk · patient · ball · nail · key · fine · game

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. ball — a great time
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. band — a ring
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. band — a music group
  11. ball — a dance
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. key — the most important part
  15. game — a match
  16. fine — high quality
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. fine — all right
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. game — wild animals
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. key — in music
  23. key — for a lock
  24. band — a rubber band

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