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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: bowl · kick · bank · season · pitcher · jam · mate · snap

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. bank — of a river
  3. kick — in football
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. snap — to click
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. mate — a partner
  10. bank — for money
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. mate — a friend
  15. bank — for money
  16. mate — to breed
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. season — of the year
  20. season — in sport
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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