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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: cold · board · saw · bank · pass · kick · rush · pitcher

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  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. board — a flat piece
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. saw — the tool
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. rush — hurry
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. board — a committee
  9. pass — a permit
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. cold — not warm
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. saw — the tool
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. bank — of a river
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. cold — an illness
  20. kick — in football
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bank — for money
  23. board — to get on
  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