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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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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: squash · cue · craft · date · net · pit · snap · stand

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. craft — a skill
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. net — after costs
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. pit — a hole
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. craft — boats
  10. squash — the sport
  11. net — in sport
  12. net — for catching
  13. date — the fruit
  14. snap — to click
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. pit — in a race
  18. cue — for pool
  19. stand — to bear
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. squash — to crush
  22. cue — a signal
  23. cue — a hint
  24. date — on the calendar

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