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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: pitcher · spell · lash · mate · pit · date · present · bank

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. present — a gift
  3. mate — a friend
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. bank — for money
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bank — for money
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. present — there
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. mate — a partner
  12. date — the fruit
  13. pit — in a race
  14. bank — of a river
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — letters
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. spell — a short time
  22. pit — a hole
  23. mate — to breed
  24. present — the time now

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