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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: firm · date · rush · sharp · mate · game · roll · snap

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. firm — a company
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. rush — hurry
  8. mate — a partner
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. mate — to breed
  14. date — the fruit
  15. firm — decided
  16. mate — a friend
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. roll — a cake
  19. firm — steady
  20. snap — to click
  21. game — a match
  22. sharp — clever
  23. game — wild animals
  24. roll — a list

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