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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: bark · pitcher · roll · calf · racket · bank · bound · deal

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. bank — for money
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bank — of a river
  11. deal — to handle
  12. bound — obliged
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bark — to shout
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bound — certain
  20. bank — for money
  21. roll — a list
  22. roll — a cake
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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