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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: bass · pit · bank · pitcher · date · lash · game · sharp

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. sharp — clever
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. pit — a hole
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. bank — for money
  13. bass — the fish
  14. game — wild animals
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. bass — low music
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bank — of a river
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. bank — for money
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. pit — in a race
  24. game — a match

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