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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 116 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: bowl · land · ball · patient · mug · ground · row · bank

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. mug — to rob
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. ball — a great time
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. mug — a face
  9. land — to come down
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. row — to paddle
  14. land — ground
  15. ground — a position
  16. land — a country
  17. mug — a cup
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. ground — crushed
  20. row — a line
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bank — for money
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. ball — a dance

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