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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: bat · date · roll · saw · bank · cue · rush · mate

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bank — for money
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. mate — a partner
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. bank — of a river
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. roll — a cake
  11. saw — the tool
  12. cue — a hint
  13. mate — a friend
  14. saw — the tool
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cue — for pool
  17. roll — a list
  18. rush — hurry
  19. bank — for money
  20. mate — to breed
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. bat — for baseball

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