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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: game · lash · pitcher · mug · date · mate · bank · present

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  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. game — a kind of play
  2. present — a gift
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. mug — a cup
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. mate — a partner
  7. mug — to rob
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. mate — to breed
  10. game — wild animals
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. present — the time now
  14. date — the fruit
  15. bank — of a river
  16. game — a match
  17. mug — a face
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. present — there
  20. mate — a friend
  21. bank — for money
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  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