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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. bank — for money
  3. net — for catching
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bore — to drill
  8. suit — clothes
  9. vault — a safe
  10. bank — for money
  11. suit — in cards
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. suit — to fit
  14. cell — in biology
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. date — the fruit
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. bank — of a river
  21. cell — a phone
  22. bore — to tire
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. net — after costs

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