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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: bank · patient · track · drill · band · straw · jam · bound

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. bound — certain
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. track — a path
  6. bound — tied together
  7. drill — the tool
  8. bank — for money
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. drill — a practice
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bound — obliged
  15. band — a music group
  16. drill — army training
  17. track — a song
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. bank — for money
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. band — a ring
  24. straw — a straw man

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