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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. fine — high quality
  4. last — final
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. file — a line of people
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pass — a permit
  11. file — a document
  12. fine — all right
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. scale — in music
  16. scale — size or range
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. file — a tool
  19. last — to go on
  20. hand — help
  21. date — the fruit
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. last — finally

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