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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: spell · date · pit · chip · key · leaves · rash · bass

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. pit — a hole
  3. date — the fruit
  4. key — in music
  5. key — for a lock
  6. rash — a series
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. bass — the fish
  9. rash — hasty
  10. spell — magic
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. key — the most important part
  14. chip — for betting
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. chip — to eat
  17. bass — low music
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. spell — a short time
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. pit — in a race
  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