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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fan · rush · dip · net · bark · date

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. date — the fruit
  3. net — after costs
  4. rush — hurry
  5. dip — to sink
  6. net — in sport
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. net — for catching
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter

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