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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: date · season · dip · last · pitcher · snap · pass · vault

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. dip — to sink
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. snap — to click
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — of the year
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. last — finally
  16. vault — a safe
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. last — to go on
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. last — final
  21. date — the fruit
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. pass — a permit

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