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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: cabinet · mark · cue · bank · patient · roll · band · net

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. mark — a trace
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. bank — for money
  5. band — a music group
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bank — for money
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. band — a ring
  11. net — for catching
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cue — a hint
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. roll — a list
  16. mark — a grade
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — in sport
  19. roll — a cake
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. cue — for pool
  24. patient — a sick person

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