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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: rush · ball · clip · pitcher · suit · bank · dip · object

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. ball — a dance
  3. suit — clothes
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. clip — to cut
  7. bank — for money
  8. suit — in cards
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. rush — hurry
  11. ball — a great time
  12. object — to protest
  13. object — an aim
  14. dip — to sink
  15. bank — for money
  16. suit — to fit
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. bank — of a river
  21. clip — a video
  22. clip — for paper
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. pitcher — in baseball

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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