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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
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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: bay · cell · date · nail · game · scale

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. date — the fruit
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. game — wild animals
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. scale — in music
  10. cell — a phone
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. scale — size or range
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. cell — in biology
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. game — a match

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