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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: roll · fall · game · sharp · bat · mate · stick · bank

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. roll — a cake
  5. sharp — clever
  6. game — wild animals
  7. bank — for money
  8. mate — a partner
  9. fall — the season
  10. mate — to breed
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bank — for money
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. fall — to drop
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. mate — a friend
  18. roll — a list
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bat — the animal
  21. game — a match
  22. fall — to drop
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. game — a kind of play

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