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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: pitcher · calf · branch · fall · mate · date · mug · drill

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mate — a partner
  5. branch — a division
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mug — a face
  9. drill — army training
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. fall — the season
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. drill — a practice
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. mug — a cup
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. drill — the tool
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — to drop

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