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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: bank · vault · date · game · swing · land · rush · sharp

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. bank — for money
  8. land — ground
  9. swing — to play on
  10. land — a country
  11. vault — a safe
  12. date — the fruit
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. game — a match
  15. land — to come down
  16. game — wild animals
  17. sharp — clever
  18. swing — in golf
  19. bank — for money
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. bank — of a river
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rush — hurry
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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