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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
468
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: fine · date · bat · stick · clip · pitcher · lie · mark

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bat — the animal
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. fine — high quality
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. fine — all right
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. mark — a trace
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. mark — a grade
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. lie — to recline
  17. date — the fruit
  18. clip — to cut
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. clip — for paper
  23. clip — a video
  24. bat — in an idiom

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