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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: pop · snap · rash · ball · net · hide · date · cue

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pop — soda
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. ball — a dance
  6. net — for catching
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. cue — a signal
  9. pop — music
  10. ball — a great time
  11. rash — a series
  12. net — in sport
  13. net — after costs
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. cue — for pool
  16. pop — to visit
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. cue — a hint
  20. snap — to click
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. rash — hasty
  24. date — on the calendar

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