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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: craft · rush · present · pitch · stick · date · cabinet · snap

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. present — a gift
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. date — the fruit
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. craft — a skill
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. present — the time now
  11. snap — to click
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pitch — completely
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. craft — boats
  18. present — there
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. rush — hurry
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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