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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 · bank · bowl · rock · pitcher · band · bear · squash

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. band — a ring
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. rock — a stone
  6. squash — to crush
  7. band — a music group
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bank — for money
  11. bear — the animal
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. bear — the animal
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bank — of a river
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. rock — music
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. squash — the sport
  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