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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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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: fine · chip · mate · spell · cabinet · bass · rock · date

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. mate — a friend
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. chip — to eat
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. mate — a partner
  7. spell — a short time
  8. mate — to breed
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. bass — low music
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. bass — the fish
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. rock — a stone
  17. spell — letters
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. fine — all right
  20. date — the fruit
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. chip — for betting
  23. spell — magic
  24. fine — high quality

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