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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 · pitch · lash · prune · snap · board · bound · rock

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. pitch — completely
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bound — obliged
  6. board — a committee
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. rock — music
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — tied together
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. date — the fruit
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. prune — to trim
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. board — to get on
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. snap — to click
  24. rock — a stone

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