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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: fan · march · club · pitcher · pass · bank · calf · mate

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. pass — a permit
  5. club — for golf
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. march — music
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. mate — to breed
  11. bank — of a river
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mate — a partner
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. club — a group
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. march — the month
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. march — the month
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. club — for dancing
  23. bank — for money
  24. mate — a friend

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