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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: dip · date · bear · snap · rush · game · pitch · bound

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bound — certain
  4. date — the fruit
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. bound — obliged
  8. game — a match
  9. rush — hurry
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. bear — the animal
  12. dip — to sink
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. bear — the animal
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. snap — to click
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. pitch — completely
  24. rush — a thrill

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