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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: saw · dip · squash · race · rock · jam · date · pitch

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. dip — to sink
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. squash — to crush
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. race — humankind
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — music
  15. race — a contest
  16. saw — the tool
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. date — the fruit
  19. pitch — completely
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. race — the arms race
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. squash — the sport

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