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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: mug · bank · hand · pass · calf · court · date · scale

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pass — a permit
  4. hand — in cards
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. court — for sport
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. mug — a face
  9. court — of a king
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. mug — a cup
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. mug — to rob
  16. court — of law
  17. date — the fruit
  18. bank — for money
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. scale — in music
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. hand — help
  23. scale — size or range
  24. bank — for money

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