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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: bore · fall · bank · ball · nail · sharp · date · pitcher

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — the fruit
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. fall — to drop
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. bank — for money
  9. fall — the season
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bank — of a river
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. ball — a dance
  17. sharp — clever
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bank — for money
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. ball — a great time
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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