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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: mate · calf · racket · row · date · bank · vault · pitcher

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. bank — for money
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. mate — to breed
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. mate — a partner
  14. row — a line
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bank — for money
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. vault — a safe
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bank — of a river
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. date — the fruit
  23. row — to paddle
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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