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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 · snap · pitcher · rule · firm · court · bulb · lash

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. court — of law
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. firm — decided
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. court — of a king
  13. firm — a company
  14. date — the fruit
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. bulb — for light
  17. rule — government
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. rule — a law
  20. court — for sport
  21. bulb — for light
  22. snap — to click
  23. firm — steady
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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