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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: lean · pitcher · roll · ball · suit · snap · date · clip

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — the fruit
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. roll — a cake
  7. roll — a list
  8. clip — to cut
  9. lean — to bend
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. suit — in cards
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. snap — to click
  17. suit — to fit
  18. lean — thin
  19. ball — a great time
  20. clip — for paper
  21. ball — a dance
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. clip — a video
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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