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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 112 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 · ball · pitcher · bore · straw · cap

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. bank — of a river
  3. cap — a hat
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. ball — a dance
  8. cap — a lid
  9. bank — for money
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bore — to drill
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bank — for money
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. bore — to tire
  18. cap — of ice

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