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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: roll · pitch · row · vault · bank · arm · mate · spell

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. bank — of a river
  3. mate — a partner
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. vault — a safe
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. mate — a friend
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. spell — letters
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. bank — for money
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. mate — to breed
  16. row — to paddle
  17. bank — for money
  18. roll — a list
  19. spell — a short time
  20. pitch — completely
  21. row — a line
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. roll — a cake
  24. roll — on a roll

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