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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: cabinet · race · date · pitcher · bay · pound · clip · suit

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. clip — for paper
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. clip — a video
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. race — humankind
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. clip — to cut
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. race — a contest
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. suit — clothes
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. suit — in cards
  18. race — the arms race
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. pound — a weight
  24. suit — to fit

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