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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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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: snap · bank · date · arm · pit · pitch · rush · swing

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. rush — hurry
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pitch — completely
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — of a river
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. date — the fruit
  19. swing — to play on
  20. pit — a hole
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. swing — music
  23. swing — in golf
  24. snap — to click

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