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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: date · rush · wound · clip · ruler · mouse · spell · pitch

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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. spell — a short time
  4. clip — a video
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — an injury
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. clip — to cut
  9. spell — letters
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. rush — hurry
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. spell — magic
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. pitch — completely

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