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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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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: dip · snap · bowl · bay · net · pitch · lie · date

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. snap — to click
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. lie — to recline
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. dip — to sink
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. date — the fruit
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. net — after costs
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. pitch — completely
  22. net — for catching
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. net — in sport

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