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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: safe · chip · rock · net · date · bowl · tear · pitcher

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. net — after costs
  10. rock — a stone
  11. net — in sport
  12. tear — from crying
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. rock — music
  15. tear — from crying
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. tear — to rip
  18. chip — for betting
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. net — for catching
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. date — the fruit
  24. pitcher — a jug

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