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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: patient · racket · bank · chest · club · board · date · rock

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. chest — of your body
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. chest — of your body
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. club — for dancing
  7. rock — music
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. club — a group
  11. club — for golf
  12. board — to get on
  13. rock — a stone
  14. board — a committee
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. date — the fruit
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bank — for money
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. chest — a box
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bank — for money

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