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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: degree · content · ball · bear · vault · patient · arm · bank

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. degree — from a university
  3. bear — the animal
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. degree — an amount
  7. bank — for money
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. content — the amount
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bank — of a river
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. ball — a great time
  18. degree — temperature
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. vault — a safe
  21. bank — for money
  22. content — happy
  23. ball — a dance
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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