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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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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 · race · present · bass · pound · ball · deal · patient

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. present — there
  3. deal — to handle
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. race — humankind
  6. race — a contest
  7. bank — of a river
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. present — the time now
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. bass — low music
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bank — for money
  16. race — the arms race
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. pound — a weight
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. ball — a great time
  21. present — a gift
  22. ball — a dance
  23. bass — the fish
  24. ball — a round shape

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