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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 116 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: rash · season · dip · last · pitcher · bank · mouse · kick

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  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. pitcher — a jug
  2. kick — in football
  3. season — in sport
  4. rash — a series
  5. last — finally
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. dip — to sink
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. season — of the year
  13. bank — for money
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. last — final
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. bank — of a river
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. last — to go on
  22. rash — hasty
  23. dip — a sauce
  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