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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · lash · pitcher · court · cabinet · roll · chair · mate

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. mate — to breed
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. roll — a cake
  9. bank — for money
  10. mate — a friend
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. court — for sport
  15. court — of a king
  16. roll — a list
  17. court — of law
  18. bank — for money
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. mate — a partner
  21. chair — a leader
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bank — of a river

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