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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 120 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: pitcher · calf · land · spring · temple · bank · ball · drill

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. spring — the season
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. land — a country
  5. ball — a great time
  6. spring — of water
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. land — ground
  9. bank — of a river
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. drill — a practice
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. drill — the tool
  16. bank — for money
  17. ball — a dance
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. land — to come down
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. drill — army training
  23. temple — a place of worship
  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