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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: march · pop · fine · drill · patient · stand · track · bank

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. drill — a practice
  4. track — to keep track
  5. march — the month
  6. pop — music
  7. stand — to bear
  8. fine — high quality
  9. march — music
  10. pop — to visit
  11. bank — for money
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. drill — the tool
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. track — a song
  16. bank — of a river
  17. track — a path
  18. bank — for money
  19. march — the month
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. pop — soda
  23. fine — all right
  24. stand — for spectators

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