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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stem · dip · net · pitch · bark · rush · date · kid

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  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. bark — to shout
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. kid — child
  12. rush — hurry
  13. net — for catching
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. date — the fruit
  16. kid — to tease
  17. dip — to sink
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. stem — to come from
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. net — after costs
  23. rush — to hurry
  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